Digital Synthesis
by LavenderAlana
Summary: A 3,000 year old evil has taken over the Digital World, and the gateways between the two worlds have been opened once more. It's up to a team of chosen humans and Digimon to defeat the darkness. Based on the RPG of the same name.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note**

This is the author(ess), LavenderAlana here! Some of you may also know me as Kira or Fukachi. This is just a note to explain where this story came from, as well as the characters.

First of all, this story originated as an RPG of the same name (it can be found at - s15 . invisionfree . com/DigitalSynthesis/ - only without the spaces). The RPG died, unfortunately, due to inactivity of members. Nonetheless, I loved the idea and wnated to keep it alive, so I began writing this story one day. This is not only a retelling of what progress we had in the RPG, but also a continuation of it (of course).

Many of the characters in this story are not mine, since I didn't play the RPG all by myself. The characters Vyse, Kenji, Kate, Tori, William, Zanshi, Charley, Ishimaru, Chris, Riley, Austin, Ross, Eliot, and the members of HUNTER all belong to their respective owners. The only ownership I claim of them is a few changed named (Kenji used to be JP and Tori used to be Tommy, both season 4 canon characters, but they were changed because this isn't a season 4 fanfiction), and a few background details. Overall, they are not mine.

The story details have also been slightly altered to either a) make more sense, or b) sound way cooler.

If you own a character used in this story and weren't creditted/don't like one of the changes I made/hate me and want me to remove your character from my stupid, ugly piece of crap, please tell me so I can add you/we can talk about it/I can sob in a dark corner and write goth poetry about how much everyone hates me :(

Comments will be replied to when I post new chapters. You can also comment on this story at the original message board which is listed above, and I will respond to you more immediately.

Lastly, I do not own the concept Digimon. Duh.

**Prologue**

Parallel to our world, there exists another, named 'the Digital World'. This world, inhabited by creatures made of discarded computer data, has so far been unnoticed by ours, as our world is to them. Everyone goes on with their daily lives as if their own world was all that there was.

Then, a great evil apeared in the Digital World. With unmeasurable power he destroyed cities and conquered the Digital World, making slaves of its people. Even the nine gods could not match his strength, and could only helplessly watch their world be corrupt by his evil.

When almost all hope was lost, a rift appeared between the two worlds, creating a gateway. The gods of the Digital World curiously gazed into this other world--the human world--hoping the solution to their troubles would lie there. They saw small, frail creatures with barely any way to protect themselves, but the gods could sense that deep inside they held a power greater than anything any of their people could muster. The gods were pleased, and summoned nine of the strongest humans they could find and brought them to the Digital World.

The nine that had been chosen were some of the smallest, frailest creatures in the human world, and at first the gods had their doubts, but they quickly discovered that these humans could transform their people into more powerful fighters, an ability which had been until then dormant and unused. They rallied the remaining people of the Digital World and made one final attack, certain that the humans' power would be enough to stop the tyrant.

But it was not enough, and the gods' army fell, even with their new power. The great evil laughed at their attempts, and turned his attention to the humans. He struck with his most powerful attack, aiming to destroy the humans once and for all, but the gods would not allow it, and they sacrificed themselves to stopp the assault. The great evil laughed, certain he had won now that the gods themselves had fallen, and returned to his castle of darkness.

However, the gods were not finished yet. By sacrificing themselves, the gods had proven their friendship with the humans. The bonds between them grew stronger, strong enough to surpass death, and formed a device. The device fused the gods and humans into nine warriors, more powerful than the great evil.

With their new strength, the nine warriors fought the evil army. They destroyed the evil's seven servants, freeing the people of the Digital World. The warriors grew more powerful with each victory, until they finally faced the evil in the final battle. Many were lost in the battle, protecting the nine warriors, but in the end the evil was slain, and sealed into the core of the Digital World with his servants where he was to be guarded for eternity.

The humans were returned to their world, where barely a minute had passed since they left. They left behind a fraction of their power so the people of the Digital World could continue to transform, and created a cycle of rebirth so the people could always be reborn. The gods' spirits were enshrined in nine temples throughout the Digital World where they could protect their world if the evil ever escaped. New guardians were assigned to the Digital World to watch over it while the gods rested, and the gateways were sealed so the two worlds would once more be seperate. For three thousand years the Digital World had peace, and the war against the evil and the humans faded into legend. Soon the people forgot all about the battle, having worried themselves with other things in their lives. Once more, everyone went on with their daily lives as if their own world was all that there was.

But as time went by, the gods and the guardians themselves forgot about the great battle, and the seal began to weaken...


	2. The First Spirit Arrives

**LEGEND  
**_like this -_ thoughts (with some obvious exceptions)  
_::like this::_ - Digimon thoughts OR speaking through human

* * *

**Chapter One -- Chronicle of Courage  
**_**The First Spirit Arrives! Strabimon, Warrior of Light!**_

It had started out as a normal day in Tokyo. It was the beginning of Spring and the weather was just warming up, with clear skies with a very low chance of rain. People went about their daily lives as they always did, oblivious to the terrible battle raging on in the other world.

Invisible to the naked eye, a ghostly figure wandered the streets, passing through both objects and people alike as if they were thin air. The creature sighed, waving one of its claws into a wall. _::I'm never going to get used to this,_ it thought,_ I miss having an actual body.::_ It stared blankly, its eyes gold and glowing, still mourning over its loss._ ::Ah, but there's still hope, right? I just have to find someone who can take my power.::_

All it needed was a human, one capable of carrying its power. The task sounded simple enough, just go out and pick someone, but it turned out to be a lot more of a hassle. The creature chuckled. _::It'd be a lot easier if they could all see me.::_

So far, the spirit had only found one human who could see him, but he was far too young to even walk. Three hours after beginning its search, the creature hadn't found anyone with any potential.

_::Maybe it's just this area,::_ it grumbled, folding his arms. _::There are too many people in these streets, how're they supposed to notice me? I should go somewhere else.::_ The spirit turned away from the streets, walking through a nearby apartment building. _::I think I saw a forest or something this way...::_

_---_

Vyse shuffled his deck of cards, starting a quick game of solitaire at his desk. He pushed his glasses up his nose, as they had a habit of slipping down every so often. His brown eyes gazed through the lenses, allowing him to see the numbers and symbols on his cards.

His hair was black, just like nearly the entire Japanese population, but he tried to spice up his dull look bit by adding a few silver streaks to his hair. Other than that, his look was still plain. He had a worn denim jacket with a red t-shirt underneath, and an old pair of blue jeans.

He played his game, and in only a few minutes he finished. Solitaire was one of his favorite pastimes, so by now he considered himself a master.

"That makes five wins in a row," he mumbled, leaning back into his chair. "Now what...?" Folding his arms behind his head, Vyse closed his eyes, trying to think of what to do now. _Solitaire is only fun for so long, anyway,_ he thought.

A cold chill filled the small apartment bedroom, making Vyse shiver. _A walk sounds nice,_ he decided, _Warm myself up a bit._ He stretched his legs, then stood up from his chair. He took off his glasses and out them aside, shuffled his cards into a deck again and shoved them into his pocket, then headed into the living room. He glanced around--no one was there. _Duh, mom's still at work._ He shook his head, and wrote down a quick note before leaving the apartment, making sure to lock the door behind him. Vyse took the elevator down, not wanting to have to walk eight flights of stairs.

As the elevator doors opened, a faint blue light caught the corner of his eye. "Huh?" he muttered. He stepped out, looking over at where he saw the light, but it was gone. _Weird... _He watched the wall for a few seconds, then shrugged. _Probably just my eyes playing tricks on me._ Forgetting about the odd light, he headed outside and off to the park.

It was a ten minute walk to the park. The weather was nice, but Vyse wore his jacket anyway. He shuffled his deck, a habit of his, and took his usual route around the park. Something felt different this time, though. Vyse frowned, a bit unnerved by the unfamiliar feeling. _It feels like I'm being followed..._ He glanced back cautiously, but no one was there. He shook his head. _I'm just paranoid._

Then he saw something--another streak of blue light, right in front of him this time. He jumped back, a bit startled. It was gone in the blink of an eye, but now he was sure he saw something. "What _was_ that?" he thought aloud, "Is it... following me?"

Vyse stood there for a few minutes, hoping the light would appear again. He became bored rather quickly, though, and continued his stroll. _Probably nothing, maybe someone lost their dog. I should wear my glasses, maybe my eyesight's getting worse._

_---_

The invisible creature darted through the park, still searching for someone. It stopped in front of every man, woman and child it could find, but so far none of them had even flinched. It growled, slowly getting frustrated with its lack of success. _::Who knows how much time I've wasted now!::_ it grumbled, stopping in front of a young couple. They passed right through it, gushing on about how much they loved each other. _::I _hate_ this!::_

The creature charged through a patch of trees onto another path, not even bothering to check to see if anyone was there. _I'm sick of this::Why couldn't the gods do something about this?! Why can't they make me visible at _least It growled again, slowing down so it could catch its breath. _::This just sucks.::_

"Hehe, time for a good old-fashioned pranking!"

The spirit turned, noticing for the first time the second creature beside it. _::Hey, what are you--::_ The spirit stopped, noticing something different. _::How did you get here with your body?! That's not fair!::_

The new creature chuckled, unable to hear its brethren's shouts. Its furry tail swayed, purple fur covering its entire body. It was feline in nature with a scar across its left eye, but its giant black claws showed that it wasn't your average cat. It crouched down in the bushes, waiting.

The spirit-creature roared, pulling on its ears in pure frustration. _::Why me?!::_ it shouted, _::Why didn't they just choose _this_ guy for the job?! He seems to have gotten here fine!::_ The ghost punched a nearby tree, forgetting its lack of a physical body. Its fist went straight through the tree, and the creature nearly lost its balance. _::Graah! I hate this!::_

"Perfect," the purple cat chuckled, grinning broadly. The spirit looked at it for a moment, then turned its attention to what appeared to be its target; a teenage boy with streaked black hair, shuffling a deck of cards as he walked. The cat stifled another laugh, peeking through the bush as it eagerly awaited its chance to strike. "Come on, a little closer..."

The ghostly creature stared at the boy. _::Something's... different here.::_ The boy suddenly stopped, then looked directly into the spirit's eyes.

"Pitfall!"

_---_

Before anything could be said, a hole opened up below Vyse. He dropped his deck of cards, which fluttered down into the bottomless pit. As the ground gave way, he grabbed wildly for the edge. His hand grasped the end of a tree root which had been growing under the path. He sighed with relief, keeping his eyes shut so he wouldn't look down into the abyss below him.

"H-help!" he shouted, "Someone, please!"

A voice burst into laughter. "Hah-hah! I got you!" it shouted. A purple cat-like creature gazed down at Vyse, grinning with its sharp teeth. "You should pay more attention, stupid! You fell right into my Pitfall trap!"

"W-what?!" Vyse blinked, looking up to the mouth of the pit. _This can't be real!_ "What are you?!"

The cat folded its arms proudly. "Gazimon, thank-you-very-much!" it replied. "Now, are you gonna fight me or give up now?"

"Fight?" _I must be having some kind of crazy dream!_

"Well, that or you could just fall to your doom, doesn't matter to me..."

"_What_?!"

The cat scowled. "Well, make up your mind quick, I don't have all day!"

"But..." Vyse looked down into the pit again. It was pitch black, and he hastily looked back up before he was overwhelmed with dizziness. _I doubt I could climb this... Oh man, does it even end?_ He gritted his teeth. "Yeah, I'll fight! Just get me out of here, okay?!"

"Tch, tch, tch!" Gazimon wagged its claw. "But that would take all the fun out of it! We're fighting, aren't we? I can't just help my opponent like that." It snickered.

_He's making a game out of this! I can't hold on forever. What to do, what to do..._

The spirit watched, shocked not only by Gazimon's sudden and unprovoked attack, but by the fact that the boy had seen him. _There's nothing else it could have been... He's perfect!_ It grinned. _That is, if that stupid Gazimon doesn't kill him!_ The creature growled, it didn't want its plans to be ruined so easily. _I won't allow it._

Kneeling over the hole, the spirit decided to make itself known to the boy.

_::You look like you're in a bit of a bind.::_

Startled, Vyse's gaze shot back up. _That voice, it's different!_ "Hello? Who's there?!" he shouted.

_::Perhaps you'd like some, ah, assistance?::_

The boy squinted, gazing at the space beside the cat. At first all he saw was empty air, but after a few seconds, a shape began to form. It became a thin, light blue outline, barely visible against the sky. Within the outline it was a touch blurry, but clear overall, as if it was lacking something that should be there. Two wide glowing eyes stared back at him, and he gasped.

"What the hell is going on?!" he shouted. "What... who are _you_?!"

Gazimon raised an eyebrow. "Didn't we already go over this?" it grumbled, making Vyse look back in its direction. "I'm Gazimon! Gazimon! By the gods, your memory sucks, kid!"

"B-but... you..." He looked back at the ghostly outline. It was still there. _Am I the only one seeing this?_

_::Confused, huh?::_ The outline--well, Vyse thought it was the outline. What else could it be?--chuckled. _::I'll explain later. Just take my hand, I'll help you.::_ The figure extended a long arm, with five long claws on its hand.

"I--"

"This is getting boring," Gazimon interrupted, "Well, if you can't get out, I might as well end this." The cat grinned, pointing a black claw at the root Vyse was holding onto.

_::Hurry up! Before he attacks!::_

"A-alright!" Vyse cried. He let go of the root with one hand, reaching for the strange figure's.

"Electro Stun Blast!"

_::Hang on!::_

A blast of electricity hit Vyse, numbing his arm. He hissed as the numbness began to spread, and guessed from the rush of air that he was falling. He felt something fall into his outstretched hand, but soon lost all feeling in his body. _Did he let go?_ Vyse didn't even have the strength to scream. _I can't believe it's ending like this..._

Everything was black. The opening above was now just a pinpoint of light. The darkness unnerved him, but if there really wasn't a bottom, he guessed he would have to get used to it. _At least until starvation._ He couldn't feel it, but he could hear the sound of the rushing air, so he knew he was still falling. Vyse closed his eyes in submission.

_::Hey, come on, don't give up now.::_

Vyse opened his eyes again. "What?" Right in front of him, the mysterious outline appeared. "You again? What are you doing here?... Why didn't you help me?!"

It chuckled, its voice echoing against the walls. _::It's not over yet.::_

The boy began to notice the feeling returning to his body. It soon became apparent that there was something in his hand. _Where did this come from?_ He couldn't see it, with only the light from the glowing figure to illuminate the pit, but now with the feeling back in his body he could tell it was there.

_Wait, where I grabbed his hand--_ "Did you give this to me?" Vyse asked, bringing the object closer. It felt like a rough, uneven oval with lots of bumps and grooves on it, and it had a flat hexagon on one side. One end was cut flat.

_::Yes, I did,::_ the figure said._ ::Now, it's time to use it.::_

"Who are you?"

_::Push the button on the side, the longer we wait, the longer it will take to climb out.::_

"Please, tell me!"

The figure sighed. _::Strabimon.::_

"Strabimon?"

_::Yes, now push the stupid button already.::_

Vyse smiled, and did as he was told.

The object beeped loudly, making the boy jump (if he had been on solid ground, that is). A beam of light came up from the top of the device. With a bit of hesitation, he reached out to touch it. "Human Host Detected," a computerized voice said, just as he broke the beam, "Initiating fusion sequence." The object began to glow, and Vyse pulled his hand back and brought it up to block out the light.

"Strabimon, what does that mean?" he shouted. "Hello, Strabimon? Are you there?" The figure did not respond. "Hey, answer me! _Strabimon_!"

The pit was filled with light, blinding Vyse. He shut his eyes, colourful spots dancing across his vision. The air around him was still. _Have I stopped falling?_ He wasn't sure, but hoped it was an improvement to his situation.

Suddenly, he was overwhelmed with pain. It started at his fingertips, like his bones were piercing through his skin. He cried out, automatically pulling his hands close. It was the worst thing he'd ever felt, but it was soon over, leaving an odd tingling sensation in his arms. He sighed. _What the hell was that Abo--_ Just when he thought it was over, the pain returned, this time at his toes. It was the same feeling, like his bones were growing out of his skin, but this time he also got to feel his toes merging, which was quite possibly even worse. Next came his ears, which seemed to grow out to the sides. He reached up to feel them, and was shocked to find them long and furry. His fingers felt stiff now, too, and a bit numb. _What's happening to me?! Was that thing some kind of demon?!_ He was tingling all over now, but he could distinctly feel something wrapping itself around his arms, legs, and even more worrisome, his neck. His eyes felt like they were burning, but he kept them shut tight, afraid to know what was happening to his body.

Vyse had lost track of time, but the pain quickly subsided. The light around him began to fade, leaving the teen confused. Air began to rush past him again as gravity kicked back in.

Automatically, his arms and legs shot out wards, digging into the sides of the pit. His numbed, stiff fingers felt nothing, as did his toes. He kept his eyes shut stubbornly. A voice sighed in his head.

_::Would you please just open your eyes?::_ Strabimon said._ ::It's hard to move around without seeing...::_

"N-no!" Vyse cried, "What are you, what did you do to me?!"

_::Just open your eyes, human.::_

He was hesitant for obvious reasons, but slowly he allowed himself to look into the world around him. The endless hole seemed brighter for some reason, as if the walls themselves were glowing faintly. _Well, here goes nothing..._ Vyse looked over at his arm. It looked unchanged, at first, but he realized it was because of his jacket. Two black belts with silver buckets were around his arm, near the elbow, and another belt on his wrist. His hand was in a black fingerless glove, and beyond it, half-buried in the wall, were five long, black claws. He hastily turned away.

"Wh-what..."

_::You don't like them?::_ Strabimon said, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"What the hell did you do to me?!"

_::Relax, the transformation can be reversed, but for now you'll just have to deal with it,::_ the voice said,_ ::If you didn't have those claws, you'd still be falling right now.::_

"But... how..."

Strabimon sighed. _::I have to do everything myself, don't I?::_

Before Vyse could reply, he lost control of his body. He jumped from wall to wall without any choice, dizzied by the sudden change. He decided not to resist. By the looks of things, Strabimon held all the cards.

For a long time, the scenery didn't change, but after a while Vyse spotted a circle of light above him--the opening to the hole. _I wonder how long I've been down here?_ As he grew closer, the opening grew as well until he could see the sky and the trees above. His legs were aching, but when Vyse reached the top, he felt deeply proud of his accomplishment.

_::I did all the work,::_ Strabimon grumbled.

"Yeah, but it's my body," the teen retorted. "...Wait, I didn't say that out loud! You can read my mind?"

_::Pretty much.::_ If it were possibly to shrug mentally, Strabimon had just done it._ ::We are sharing the same body now.::_

"Yeah, I guess that makes sen--wait, _what_?! I never agreed to that!"

_::Technically, yes. You accepted my help, and fusing was the only way I could do so. It's an even trade.::_

Vyse opened his mouth to say something, then decided against it. _Oh, whatever! Do what you want._

_::I will, thanks.::_

He scowled, a bit annoyed at Strabimon's lack of understanding of the word 'privacy'. He decided to let it slide, though, since the thought had been directed at Strabimon anyway.

"So, now what?" The once-human creature looked at his clawed hand curiously, flexing his fingers. It felt odd. "Thanks for the help, but can you... change me back or whatever?"

_::Ah, of course. Let's see...::_ His hand reached down to his belt, retrieving the device he had been given earlier. It had apparently moved to his belt--which was now black and accompanied by a pair of smaller belts which looped from front to back on both sides, very stylish--on its own. There was a long silence between them as Vyse's hands, controlled by Strabimon, fiddled with the alien device.

"...Strabimon?"

_::H-hang on! Just give me a minute to figure it out!::_

It took Vyse a moment to understand what Strabimon meant. He growled furiously. "Are you saying that you don't know how to reverse it?!" he roared.

_::W-well... sorta, but I'm sure it isn't all that difficult!::_

The demonic human fumed. "I can't believe you! You possessed me and transformed me into some kind of demon, and you don't even know how to turn me back?! What am I supposed to tell my parents?"

_::That I... possessed you and turned you into some kind of demon?::_ There was a hint of sarcasm in Strabimon's voice. Still, it wasn't very funny, not at all. Vyse sighed, combing his claws through his hair. He flinched, drawing a few drops of blood. _I'll have to remember not to do that again._

"Okay..." the teen said slowly, trying to calm himself down, "Let's start by getting out of the open. If anyone sees me like this, they'll probably think I'm some kind of monster and call the police, and we don't want that."

_::Police, huh? I guess they're bad guys. Alright, I agree with you there.::_

"Right, so let's find somewhere to hide."

_::Hiding place, got it. Well, you're a native here, so lead the way!::_

"Uh, yeah." He paused, looking behind him where the bottomless pit had been. It had disappeared. _Odd. Then again, I've been possessed by a demon..._

_::I'm not a 'demon', you know.::_ Strabimon muttered.

"Well, then what are you?" Vyse walked off from the path, careful not to trip with his new, three-clawed feet.

_::A Vaccine Digimon.::_

"A vaccine what?" The term 'Digimon' was unfamiliar to him.

_::Uh, Digimon. It stands for Digital Monster.::_

"Digital Monster?" The human chuckled. "What are you, some kind of hologram gone wrong?"

Strabimon growled. _::No, thank you. I'm a monster that is digital, that's all there is to it. You know, made of data?::_

Vyse raised an eyebrow. "Who would make something like that?" he asked.

_::Who knows? It's one of those mysteries of life, I guess.::_

"Weird..."

There was a brief pause before Strabimon continued. _::In my world--the Digital World--you humans are just a myth.::_

_A myth?_ "What kind of myth?" Vyse asked.

_::I never really thought that the stories were true, it's all just a bunch of good-guys-save-the-world junk,::_ Strabimon chuckled. _::But, then again, here you are, a real human! It's... fascinating.::_

"Well, it's pretty unbelievable for me, too," the teen commented. "We don't have any stories about 'Digimon' here, but there are a lot of other legends about strange creatures. Maybe those were all Digimon?"

_::Unlikely. I the stories are true, our worlds have been disconnected for thousands of years.::_

"Oh." As he weaved his way through the trees and deeper into the woods, Vyse thought about what Strabimon said. "Wow. Who would have guessed there was a whole other world out there?" He grinned. _That's so cool._

_::Yeah,::_ the Digimon agreed.

They were silent for a while, Vyse maneuvering his way through the forest with ease. He wasn't worried about getting lost today, having been to these woods a thousand times. He just wanted to be sure no one would find him like this. He fiddled with the strange device Strabimon had given him. It was just like he had predicted--oval-shaped with one side flat. There was a hexagonal screen on it with silver spikes pointing out from the corners, three round buttons below it, and a larger oval button on the left side. There was a red grip on the right end , and the rest of the device was white, with a few sections of silver. On the flat end, there was a tiny square window that seemed to emit a faint glow. He also noticed a clip on the back, which he could use to, well, clip it onto things.

"...Hey, Strabimon?" Vyse asked, "What is this thing?"

_::Oh, that?::_ Strabimon replied, _::I think it's called a D-Soul. It stands for something like... Digital Synthesis of something-or-other, I don't remember.::_

"Maybe it just stands for Digital Soul? You did say you were made of data."

_::Heh. Well, that too, I guess.::_

Satisfied, Vyse clipped the digivice onto his belt. He looked down at his legs again. Aside from his feet turning into claws, his pants had also turned white and had three black belts on each of his knees. Surprisingly, they didn't make it difficult to bend his legs. His pants were ripped at the ends, and his feet were wrapped in black bandages topped with a single belt, each near the bases of the claws. A large hexagonal guard was over his crotch, made of what looked like metal. Vyse also noticed that while his jacket was the same as it had been before, the t-shirt he had been wearing under it was gone, and his chest was now covered with black and white hair. Reaching up to his neck, careful not to cut himself with his claws, Vyse discovered a tattered navy scarf. _Well, I guess this isn't so bad. Hey, I look kinda cool!_

_::That's the spirit!::_ Strabimon chimed in, _::Just look on the bright side! I'm sure everything will turn out fine.::_

_I hope so..._ Vyse sighed.

A faint laugh echoed on the wind, making the humanoid stop. His ears twitched.

"Strabimon, did you hear anything just now?" he asked quietly, stepped closer to a nearby tree for cover. A small clearing was just in front of them

_::No,::_ Strabimon replied, _::Did you?::_

"Ah, it was probably nothing." Vyse shrugged it off, then walked a few steps into the clearing.

"Pitfall!"

A familiar scene repeated itself. The ground opened up beneath Vyse, followed by the hysterical laughter of a nearby purple cat. Using his new claws, the hybrid stopped his fall.

"I can't believe this!" the cat giggled, "You fell for that one... _twice_!" It burst into laughter. Vyse growled.

"_::Not this time_!" the hybrid barked, his voice different than before. Vyse blinked. _I didn't say that..._

_::I did, I hope you don't mind,::_ Strabimon explained.

"...I see," the humanoid muttered.

Gazimon peered into the hole, furrowing its brow. "Heeeyyy, you Digivolved! How'd you do that?!" the cat cried jealously. "Aww, I wish I could do that..."

"_::You'll regret attacking us!::_" Strabimon said proudly, leaping out of the hole and landing opposite of Gazimon. "_::I won't hold back on the likes of you!::_"

"Feh, we'll see how good you are, Hu-mon!" Gazimon grinned, flexing its claws. "Electro Stun Blast!" Electricity crackled along its black claws, then gathered into a sphere, which shot toward the hybrid. Strabimon, taking over control of Vyse's body again, crossed his arms over his chest.

"_::Light Claw!::_" Strabimon shouted, his claw tips glowing with light. Just as the electric ball was about to hit, he slashed it apart, streaks of light trailing behind his nails. "_::You'll have to do better than that! Light Kick!::_" Following up his first attack, the hybrid's feet began to glow, and he kicked off into a run. He stopped suddenly when he reached his target, then flipped backwards, slamming his clawed feet into Gazimon's jaw. The cat Digimon stumbled back, a bit stunned but not beaten.

"Grrr... Dodge this, Paralyze Breath!" Trying different tactics, Gazimon took a deep breath, then exhaled a sparkling gold mist which drifted around Vyse, surrounding him. The hybrid gritted his teeth, and Gazimon laughed. "My Paralyze Breath can come from all sides, and when you can't even move, I'll take you out once and for all!"

"_::Not likely!::_" Strabimon spat, "_::I won't let you defeat me! Light Claw!::_" Strabimon's claws began to glow again, and he sliced at the mist, which slipped through his nails with no change. The paralyzing mist stung his skin, numbing his right arm as it passed through. _::Crap! This sucks.::_

_What do we do?!_ Vyse shouted in his mind.

_::I don't know, gimme a minute or something!::_

Vyse bit his lip nervously, drawing a few more drops of blood. _Fangs too, huh? But that doesn't help!... Wait, I got it!_

_::Really? What?!::_

_Leave it to me!_

Vyse, taking a couple steps away from the closest area of mist, took of his jacket with his working arm. Clumsily, he fanned the mist with the jacket, gradually sending it back the other way.

"H-hey!" Gazimon cried, "No fair, that's cheating! P-pitfall!" Another pit appeared beneath Vyse, but he jumped out of the way this time.

"That won't work this time!" Vyse shouted, "Learn some new tricks!"

_::Excellent! Now, for the finisher...::_

Strabimon crossed his arms, his claws glowing with light. The light grew brighter spreading across his arms to form a cross. "_::Light Cross!::_" Opening his arms wide, Strabimon released the cross of light and it shot toward Gazimon, trapped in his own attack. The cat Digimon shrieked, unable to move due to paralysis, and was ripped apart by the attack. Strings of binary code poured from his body, floating up into the air. His cries were silenced immediately, leaving the forest air eerily quiet. A few straw strands of the code swirled around Vyse, lining up along his right arm. The numbers sank into his body, leaving only a faint glow to mark where they had landed. The hybrid flexed his hand--it was working again.

"We did it... yeah!" Vyse cheered. He thrust a fist into the air victoriously.

_::Indeed! That Gazimon was just a pushover!::_ Vyse grinned, retrieving his jacket.

"I can't believe it... that was so cool!" the human asked, "How do you do that stuff, anyway? You know, all that Light Claw and Light Kick stuff. That was awesome!"

Strabimon chuckled. _::It all comes natural to Digimon. Maybe I'll teach you how sometime.::_

"Cool!" Vyse couldn't suppress his glee. "I mean, it was kinda scary at first, but we won!"

_::Just a Gazimon, nothing too difficult for one such as myself,:: _Strabimon boasted. _::Why, I could take on an army of Gazimon! With our combined strength, we're invincible, right... uh...::_ Strabimon trailed off, making Vyse chuckle.

"You can call my Vyse," he said.

_::Right. Sorry, Vyse. I should have asked earlier.::_

"Aw, don't worry about it! It's fine." The humanoid looked at his claws again, wiggling them around a little. "You might want to get to work on finding out how to reverse this, though. It'll be dark out soon."

_::Of course, how could I have forgotten? Let's get to work, shall we?::_

After only a few minutes, Strabimon figured out how to deactivate the fusion. _::Now, this may sting a little...::_ he warned.

"Yeah, no duh," Vyse grumbled. "It hurt enough the first time."

_::Alright, just hit the side button, then.::_

The humanoid nodded. "Got it." He pushed the button.

"De-fusion initiated," the computerized voice stated. The digivice began to glow brightly again, rings of light circling around Vyse to form a white sphere. He shut his eyes. _I hate this part..._

First, his claws retracted back into his fingers. This felt very unnatural to him, since reversing growth wasn't exactly a human trait in any situation. His feet were separated once more into five toes, and his ears reverted back to normal size. All his extra hair just disappeared, instead of falling off as he had expected. Vyse gritted his teeth, determined not to cry out this time. He could sense Strabimon's presence in the back of his mind, and didn't want to seem weak, even if it was the most _horrible_ pain he had ever experienced. He felt the slight pressure around his arms, legs and neck disappear--the belts and scarf, of course. He also felt his teeth dull this time, having ignored them during the first transformation. Then the light around him faded, and a feeling of tiredness suddenly hit him like a wall of bricks. He leaned against a tree, sliding down into a sitting position.

_::That wasn't so bad, right?::_ Strabimon asked, his glowing form appearing before the human. The Digimon sat down across from Vyse. _::...Either way, you'll have to get used to it eventually.::_

"No thanks," Vyse sighed, flexing his claw-less hand. It felt good to be normal again. "I think I'm done with this. Thanks for your help, though."

_::Done?! But... there's still a lot of work to do!::_

The human paused for a moment, but made his decision nonetheless. "Sorry, but this is all too much for me."

_::Vyse, please! I need you! I thought we made a deal?::_

"Yeah, but... I mean, it's not that I don't want to, but--"

_::So you want to stay with me? What could possibly stop you, you should be able to do as you wish!::_

"Strabimon," Vyse said sternly. "I don't know what you're up to, but it's obviously dangerous work. I can't just risk my life every day like that, what would my parents think? What if I got hurt, or killed? I don't want to worry them like that." The Digimon was silent. "Do you understand? I'm sure you can find someone else out there willing to do this for you."

_::...Alright,::_ Strabimon mumbled, staring down at the ground. _::I'll just go find someone else... I guess. Well, it was nice meeting you, Vyse.::_ The spirit sighed, standing back up, then turned around.

Vyse bit his lip. _For a digital creature from an alternate dimension, he sure knows how to guilt-trip a person. _He couldn't just risk his life fighting monsters for whatever reason. Still, maybe he could at least...

"Ah, well..." he muttered. Strabimon looked over his shoulder.

_::Yes?::_

"Well... maybe you could stay with me for a while. You know, until you find someone else." The human scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

Though his face was invisible, the Digimon was clearly smiling. _::Alright, then,::_ he replied, _::I'll stay with you for now. It does look a bit late out, not as many people will be outside.::_

"Y-yeah..." Vyse got back to his feet, supporting himself with the tree. "Well, let's go to my place, then?" Strabimon nodded, and the human led the way back out.

_---_

"This afternoon, strange creatures starting appearing all over Japan," the newswoman stated over the TV set. "This creatures are not any known animals on Earth, and have bizarre powers. Some witnesses have described these beasts as breathing fire, flying, teleporting, and doing other impossible actions. They vary wildly and come in all shapes and sizes, and a few of these creatures even look humanoid in nature. A local organization to Tokyo, known as 'H.U.N.T.E.R.', has established that they will fight off these creatures and protect the public. H.U.N.T.E.R. has already prevented seven attacks and captured some of the creatures for further study. The true intentions of H.U.N.T.E.R. are unknown, but they have proven that they are putting the well-being of the people first. If you encounter any of these creatures, please report it to H.U.N.T.E.R.'s toll free number..."

Vyse shut off the TV, still staring at the screen with disbelief. "They're... everywhere."

_::Indeed,::_ Strabimon replied. _::We have to do something, Vyse.::_

"What about that H.U.N.T.E.R. group? They seem capable."

The Digimon paused. _::I don't quite like their methods... They're probably torturing those poor Digimon.::_

"They were the ones who attacked us..."

Strabimon shook his head. _::How do you know? Maybe some of those Digimon were just lost, and the humans mistook them as a threat? Not all Digimon like fighting.::_

"Hmm... I didn't think of it that way."

_::Besides,::_ the spirit continued, _::Destroying and capturing Digimon won't stop the attacks. More Digimon will come through. We have to find the gateways and close them, somehow. I think the D-Soul might be able to do something like that.::_

"So, that's us, then..." He leaned back into his couch.

After a brief silence, Strabimon spoke up. _::Listen, I know you said you didn't want to get into this dangerous stuff, but... Well, there are only a few people in your world who can see me. I can't just go out and grab someone to work with me, I only have a few options, and right now you're my only option. I need your help Vyse, I can't do this alone.::_

The human paused thoughtfully, examining the situation. _If I don't, more people could get hurt... That would be selfish._ He sighed.

"Alright, you got me," he said. "We'll work together, but only until the gateways are all closed, okay?"

Strabimon beamed, his glow growing a little brighter. _::I promise, I'll protect your body as best I can. You won't regret this!::_

Vyse smiled, looking out the apartment window. The crescent moon hung in the sky, the first twinkling stars appearing in the night sky. _Maybe this won't be so bad._


	3. Meanwhile in Osaka

No reviews yet, that makes me sad D: Oh well, I'll just keep writing anyway! Thought and Digimon-speaking/thought system is the same. Oh, and some things were changed in chapter 1. Just a few minor things, reworded some speech, etc. Anyhoo, onward!

* * *

**Chapter Two -- Chronicle of Reliability  
**_**Meanwhile in Osaka! KoKabuterimon, Guardian of Thunder!**_

Kenji lay down on the grassy hill, glad to have a moment's peace. It had been a... strange day, to say the least. _At least school is over,_ he thought, closing his eyes. _Don't have to worry about being stuck in a room... That _thing _can't corner me now._ He rubbed his eyes. _I must be going insane..._

The teen sighed, spreading his arms out onto the soft grass. He wore a blue sleeveless jacket over a bright yellow t-shirt, making him easily stand out in the crowd. His hair was light brown, a little odd for a Japanese person. Of course, everyone at school knew by now that his mother was American. Not that anyone really cared. To them, he was just another face in the crowd.

However, after his explosion today, he doubted anyone would ever ignore him again._::Ah, Kenji! I'm glad I found you!::_

Kenji bolted upright, glancing wildly around him. "Where are you?!" he shouted. "Leave me alone!" He hastily jumped to his feet, looking for the owner of the voice.

_::Come on, give me one minute!::_

"No! Go away!" Kenji looked to his right. _There!_

A faint blue light climbed the hill, obviously tired from chasing after the teen. It was empty in the middle, with only a distorted ring of blue marking its position, and had two green glowing eyes. Kenji backed away a few steps, the figure getting closer.

_::Please...::_ the creature begged, _::Just one second!::_

"Well, time's up!" he shouted, backing away a few more steps. He pointed a finger at the figure accusingly. "I don't know what you are or what you want, but I don't want anything to do with whatever it is!"

_::Well, that's not very fair! What have I ever done done to you?::_

Kenji growled angrily. "You've been following me all day!" he roared. "Why the hell won't you leave me alone?! You're ruining my life!"

_::Ruining your life?::_ the spirit scoffed. _::Oh, hardly! You think you've got it hard? Well, I--::_

"Ahhg, just go away! I don't want anything to do with you!"

_::Hey, wait!::_

Kenji turned on his heel, then ran off in the opposite direction of the spirit. He didn't look back, but he knew that the spirit was following him. _I have to lose it...!_ He switched his concentration over to deciding on his path of choice, the more crowded the better.

When he reached the bottom of the hill, the teenager headed down the main path, out of the park. In the busy city streets, it would be easy to get away from his pursuer, as long as he didn't run into any dead ends. Though there were usually lots of people in the park, there was way to much space between everyone, and downtown was very crowded. As long as no one got in his way, he would be able to lose the spirit in no time.

The faint outline of the figure wasn't too far behind him, having the advantage of moving through every obstacle that Kenji had to go around. Because of this, he guessed that the thing was some kind of ghost. _Yeah, a ghost only I can see and hear,_ he grumbled mentally. If someone--at least one person--could see it, maybe he'd be able to get some help, but everyone seemed to be oblivious of the spirit and its antics.

Moving into the streets, Kenji waded his way into the crowd, glancing back once to see if he was still being followed. He spotted the odd 'Y' shaped spike that extended from the spirit's 'head', still moving steadily toward him. He skillfully weaved his way through, trying to get the ghost off his trail. He zigzagged a few times, then turned at the next corner. Kenji glanced back again--no spike this time. He sighed with relief. walking further down the road.

From there on, he took his usual route. Ghost stalker or not, he had to pick up his younger brother. It wasn't that long of a distance from his location to the elementary school, but it felt like miles to him. Kenji looked behind him every few minutes, hoping that the spirit hadn't caught up with him yet. Fortunately, he escaped undetected this time.

As soon as he stepped onto the school grounds, he was hailed from afar. "Keeeen!" The boy, no older than nine, ran right up to him, giving his older brother his best pouty face. His short black hair was messy, as usual, and he wore a plain white t-shirt and yellow shorts. Kenji smiled.

"Ah, sorry for being so late," he apologized. _Best not to mention the ghost or anything._

"I waited for _this_ long!" the child exclaimed with a pout, showing off ten fingers. "Where were you?"

Kenji shrugged. "The park," he said plainly.

"Ken, you better not be late tomorrow! Next time, I'll just go home without you!"

The pair began their trek back home, the older brother feeling a little more at ease. It had been difficult, but in the end he had successfully lost the strange spirit. Now on his way home, he felt like he was finally rid of the nuisance.

_::Kenji, wait!::_

The hairs on the back of the teens neck stood on end. _Oh, please, no!_ He bit his lip. _What do I do, I can't do anything without worrying Tori! _To make his situation even more hopeless, the street light decided that now was a great time to change to red.

Though he wasn't looking at it, Kenji could tell that the spirit was getting ever closer. _::I know you're probably mad at me, but it's really important that you listen!::_

_Yeah, like hell I am._ He sighed. _I guess I'll just..._ "Tori," Kenji said, catching his brother's attention. "I want to drop by, uh, a friend's place. Can we take a different route, just this once?"

"Huh?" The boy paused, as if the simple question was far more complicated. _He's doing that on purpose!_ "...Well, okay, Ken, but just this once!"

Kenji sighed. "Great, this way!"

Hastily, he steered his brother down the block, hoping that would be enough to throw off the spirit. He took a few deep breaths. Being stalked is stressful, especially if it's by a ghost that only you can see.

After a while, Tori began to catch onto his brother's change in behavior. "Ken? Are you okay?" Tori asked, worried. "You're breathing funny, and I don't remember you having any friends around here..."

"O-oh?! Uhm, yeah, I'm fine," he replied sheepishly. "He... moved."

The child pouted and stepped directly in front of his brother, blocking his path. "Keeeeeen! Stop lying!" he cried. "I wanna knooow!"

Kenji sighed. _There's no hiding anything from him..._ "It's kinda complicated."

"Tell me! I'll keep it a secret, I promise!"

"Er, well..." _Where do I even start?_ "It's a... ghost, or something." Tori folded his arms stubbornly.

"Come on, Ken, I'm too old for that! Ghosts aren't real!"

"I'm telling you the truth! I told you it was complicated!" Kenji cried, dramatically enough to get a few odd glances. He quickly lowered his voice to more of a whisper. "There's this ghost-thing following me, and it won't leave me alone! That's why I was late, I took a detour to try and lose it."

The younger sibling was silent for a while, contemplating what he had just been told. Gradually, the doubt began to fade from his face. Tori frowned.

"Keeen, what does it want?" he whined.

"Well, er..." Kenji paused. _What _does_ it want? I guess I never really listened..._ "I'm not exactly sure, I was too busy trying to get away from it."

"Maybe if you do what it wants, it'll leave you alone!" Tori grinned.

"Uh... well... you know..." The teen groaned mentally. He couldn't deny it, it was a better idea than anything he could think of. "Yeah, I guess I could ask it..." He sighed.

"Yay, then everything will be normal again, right Ken?"

"I hope so..." _Unless I already lost it, it doesn't matter to me as long as that thing leaves me alone._

_::Kenji, don't go, just wait one minute!::_

Kenji sighed. _Perfect timing._ "It's back," he muttered to his brother, moving along the street again. Tori gasped, looking around to try and see the ghost. This part of town was much less crowded, so now he had no choice but to go with his brother's plan--listen and hope that it goes away. The spirit caught up with him, panting heavily.

_::I'm really sorry for causing you trouble, but this is extremely important! Both of our worlds are in danger, and I need your help! You have to listen to me!::_

The teen raised an eyebrow. _The world's in danger? What's this about?_ "What do you mean?"

_::Well--::_

"Huh? Ken, are you talking to the ghost?" Tori interrupted. The spirit glanced at Kenji's younger sibling.

"...Yeah," Kenji replied, "So could you wait a few minutes?"

"Aww, that's not fair, Ken! How come I can't listen?" Tori pouted, folding his arms as he walked alongside his brother.

_::Perhaps we should carry on this conversation elsewhere,::_ the spirit suggested. _::After all, other humans might wonder who you're talking to. I know they can't see me.::_

"Hm, good point," Kenji muttered. "Tori, come on, let's head home, we're already half-way there."

"Aren't you going to talk to the ghost?" Tori asked.

"When we get home. I don't want people staring at us, I must look crazy..."

"O-kay."

_::My name isn't 'ghost', by the way,::_ the spirit added, raising a transparent claw. _::My name is KoKabuterimon.::_

"KoKabuterimon... That's a bit of a mouthful, don't you think?" Kenji commented with a slight chuckle. "Got any nicknames?"

KoKabuterimon sighed. _::Just call me 'spirit'.::_

"Work's for me."

"KoKabuterimon? Is that the ghost's name, Ken?" Tori chimed in, grinning eagerly. "Woooow, that's so cool!"

The spirit chuckled. _::Sweet little thing, isn't he? Tori, huh? Tell him I said thanks.::_

Kenji rolled his eyes. "It says thanks," the teen said.

_::I'm a 'he', but good enough.::_

"Cool!" Tori grinned more broadly than before.

---

If he had the correct facial structure, KoKabuterimon would have smiled. Not that anyone would have seen it in his current state. The spirit, however, was far beyond mourning over such a loss. He would find a way to survive, even if it meant living the rest of his life as a ghost.

_::Ghost--no, that still doesn't sound right,::_ he thought, walking alongside Kenji. _::Digimon don't have ghosts. We don't die, we're reborn as Digitama, that's always how it's been, but then again...::_ He sighed. It still didn't make any sense, no matter how many times he thought it over. _::Why was I chosen?::_

The spirit looked at Kenji again. The boy interested him. In a world with billions of people, only _he_ could see him, but why? _::We're nothing alike, and not just because he's a human and I a Digimon. He's stubborn, quick to anger, but I see now that he's also very kind... Nothing like me.::_ The spirit paused thoughtfully, raising a large claw. _::But who am I to judge myself? Maybe we are alike, and I just don't realize it.::_ KoKabuterimon let his eyes wander, until an odd feeling began to creep up on him. He shivered.

It was at that exact moment that something plummeted from the sky, smashing into the hood of a parked car. Tori yelped, Kenji jumped back, his arms out in front of his younger brother. KoKabuterimon's head swiveled over to the crash, catching a flash of green as it flew out of his line of sight. People began screaming and running off in other directions. Kenji backed up to a wall, not wanting himself or his brother to get trampled.

"What the hell is this?!" the teen shouted over the screams of the crowd.

KoKabuterimon turned around to face him, his glow becoming more fierce. _::It's another Digimon!::_ he shouted back.

Kenji gave the spirit a funny look. "A _what_?"

_::Like me, only this one has a body!::_

"What?!"

Suddenly, the sound of flapping wings became audible to the spirit. The people had begun to clear the area, now only a few people remained, taking quick pictures before joining the fleeing crowd. KoKabuterimon spun around again. _::Where is it?!::_ He scanned the area, and saw another flash of green shooting toward him.

"Falco Rush!"

An automated reaction, KoKabuterimon raised his claws as if to grab the oncoming creature. However, it passed through him, reminding the spirit of how utterly useless he was right now. The Digimon that had just attacked obviously didn't mean well.

A scream sounded from behind him, and he remembered the two humans that still waited nearby. _::Kenji!::_ The wall behind the spirit was smashed, and a short green and brown bird stood beside the impact site. For a moment, KoKabuterimon was sure Kenji and his brother were gone--be it they fled or died--but his worries were eased as he saw them sprawled on the sidewalk, having jumped out of the way just in time. The spirit sighed with relief.

_::Kenji, you have to trust me!::_ KoKabuterimon exclaimed, extending a claw to the startled teen. _::We can beat this guy, but only if we work together!::_

---

Kenji's eyes shifted from he spirit to the vicious bird. His body was shaking. Tori sat behind him, probably too shocked to move as well. The spirit was offering his help. _But can I trust him? What could he possibly do, he's a _ghost

The green and brown bird stepped forward, moving through the transparent Digimon's body. It grinned, rows of sharp teeth poking out of its curved beak. Kenji winced. _He's my only chance._

"...A-alright," the teen muttered, "We'll beat him, together!" He grasped the spirit's claw, and the owl-like bird squawked. There was a brilliant blue light, and the spirit disappeared to Kenji's surprise. He heard Tori gasp behind him. Instead of grabbing the ghost's claw, he was now holding a flat rectangular object. _What...?_

_::Quickly, jab that jutting piece into your arm!::_ The voice rung through his head clearly, this was definitely not an outside sound this time. _How did...?_

_::No time, just do it!::_

Kenji had no choice but to trust the spirit, especially because the bird Digimon was now looking irritated by the burst of light. Hastily, he found a small circular section on the side of the rectangle and, ignoring his better judgment, jabbed it into the side of his arm. He gasped, guessing that he'd drawn a couple drops of blood. _Ahh, that hurts! What's this for again?_

"Human Host Detected," a voice replied. Kenji looked around for it's owner. "Initiating fusion sequence." _Wait, is that coming from this box thing?_ He looked down at it again, and the exact words were flashing across the small screen.

Suddenly, he was blinded by a burst of light, and the ground fell away from beneath him. The teen swore mentally, and tried to look at his surroundings, but a steady blue light was still blinding him. The first step was the worst--his muscles began to bulge, and it felt like they would explode. Kenji didn't dare to move, his arms and legs spread out as his skin began to harden. His clothing seemed to dissolve into nothing as his newly hardened skin began to thicken. A massive weight fell upon his back, but somehow he managed to stay upright. He felt heavy all over, but he also felt stronger than ever. He felt something growing out of his sides, but whatever it was, it stopped after only a few seconds. The skin around his face stayed the same, but plates formed over top it, leaving his eyes and mouth untouched. Next, his hands began to bulge even more, his fingers merging together to form three long claws on each hand, which hardened and stiffened as well. His feet did the same. It was painful, but pale in comparison to the initial step. He winced, feeling a bit stuffy inside all that armor. _What is all this? What did KoKabuterimon do to me?_

Gradually, the light faded, and Kenji's feet hit the ground, hard. He nearly toppled over because of his weighted back, and had to bend his knees slightly to stay standing. He opened his eyes--a green bubble was over each eye, and there seemed to be something covering his mouth, too. He moved an arm carefully. It was stiff, but the joints were still flexible. He couldn't move his hands very much, though, because they were now massive, almost cylindrical claws. The claws themselves were thick, and he found that the best he could do was open and close them just enough to gently tap the tips together. He felt slightly numb all over, obviously because of his shell-like skin. He was blue and black all over, with some red markings on his hands and feet. He couldn't see if there was anything on his chest or back, though, because his neck had also stiffened a little. He did spot a flapping yellow scarf around his neck, though.

"...B-big brother?"

Kenji tried to turn his head toward Tori, but could only turn it halfway. Cursing under his breath, he carefully turned around to face his brother. Kenji frowned. He looked... scared. _I must look like a monster..._

"Scratch Smash!" It took Kenji a moment to remember what he was doing. He felt a dull, almost non-existent pain in his back. As if possessed, his body turned around on its own, facing down the bird Digimon.

_::Let me handle this, Kenji,::_ the spirit said softly. _::I won't let any harm befall you or your brother.::_ Kenji blinked. _What's going on?_

_::Just trust me, please.::_

Something still didn't add up, but he decided to let it go for now. _Okay, it's all yours._

---

KoKabuterimon quickly adjusted to his new body. It felt just like it used to, though he noted that his extra arms were just dead weights now. _::Oh well, I should be grateful Kenji is letting me use his body at all. Time to get to work!_ The spirit sized up his opponent--_::Falcomon, it looks like. Fast runners and gliders, he shouldn't be a problem if I can catch him.:: _The Digimon hybrid flexed his claws, he would finish this battle as quickly as possible.

However, catching Falcomon was easier said than done, the hybrid soon discovered. Before the fight could even begin, the bird had leapt forward for a quick claw-swipe, leapt back, and run off in another direction. KoKabuterimon barely felt the strike, and thanked the gods for his thick armor. He also couldn't help but curse them once he tried to chase after his foe. _::Damn shell, it's slowing me down,::_ he cursed. _::How am I supposed to catch Falcomon like this?::_ The insectoid growled angrily, giving up his chase as the bird reached a nearby building, chuckling atop a high window sill. Time to change tactics.

With barely a sweat, KoKabuterimon grabbed the front of the car Falcomon had smashed earlier and lifted it above his head with both claws. The bird stopped laughing when the vehicle was hurled at it. It barely flew out of the way as the hunk of metal and glass smashed into the side of the apartment building, falling back down seconds later and smashing another car as it hit the ground. KoKabuterimon smiled under his armor. _::Didn't like that much, huh?::_

_::What are you doing?!::_ The spirit recognized Kenji's voice.

_::Glad to hear you've been paying attention! It should do you good,::_ the spirit replied cheerfully. _::Don't worry, I'll catch up with this bird soon and--::_

_Why did you... _How_ did you throw that car?!_

The Digimon frowned. Maybe humans just didn't have that kind of strength. Still, did he even have to ask? _::That's not really important, you know.::_

_Someone could have been hurt!_ the human fumed. _Did you even stop to think that someone might have been in that apartment you just threw that car at?!_

_::Well, not really... I don't think anyone's still here, everyone left when the battle started.::_

_Stupid! How do you know that?! Maybe they holed up in their homes, or were just hiding? And what about Tori, he's still--_ He stopped.

"Tori!" Kenji shouted, spinning around. Spotting the younger sibling watching from behind another abandoned car, the teen let out a sigh of relief. The boy looked terrified, but at least he wasn't hurt. It was nice and all that Tori was okay, but Falcomon was waiting somewhere for them...

_::Don't worry about Tori, I'll keep an eye out for him,::_ the spirit promised, _::But it's important that we defeat this rogue Digimon before it causes too much trouble.::_

_Yeah, I know... _Kenji sighed out loud. _Just... don't be so reckless, okay? I don't want anyone getting hurt._

KoKabuterimon knew that he chose right. This human was completely selfless, worrying about others when his own life was in danger. _::Thank you, Kenji.::_ Now, where had Falcomon run off to? It would be a bit harder now that he had to watch out for other humans, but the Digimon hybrid was sure he'd find a way, somehow. He didn't expect Falcomon to just drop into his claws, but he was sure it'd work out.

But that's just what happened.

Before KoKabuterimon even knew what was happening, a gunshot sounded and Falcomon squawked, landing on he ground just a few feet away from the hybrid. Its wing was damaged, bits of data floating up from the wound. _::What?! Who did that?::_ The insectoid shuffled his feet, turning around. _::An ally?::_

He was met by a barrage of bullets. Again, the Digimon was thankful for his thick shell. However, since it was formed from what was once Kenji's much softer skin, the shell wasn't as hard as it usually was, and it had nerves scattered throughout, making him feel every little impact. The bullets were surprisingly weak, but it still hurt enough to make the hybrid notice. The attackers were all human, dressed in black body armor and helmets. There were three of them firing, with another in the back doing something else. From his current angle, the Digimon couldn't tell. Kenji didn't say anything--only a string of swears--but KoKabuterimon knew he was worried about his brother nonetheless. _::Best to ease his worries,::_ he thought.

Ignoring the stings on his back, the Digimon ran awkwardly over to the child and picked him up, despite his sudden yelp of surprise. The firing stopped, whoever was attacking him obviously didn't want to hurt Tori. _::Here's my chance, while they can't attack!:: _Despite a few protests from Kenji, KoKabuterimon grabbed a nearby bike rack and hurled it at the attackers, then made a break for the nearest alleyway. He didn't exactly need to escape, only get out of sight long enough to deactivate the transformation without them knowing.

The plan went smoothly. Diving behind a dumpster, he grabbed the D-Soul from his side (it had implanted itself on the inside of his shell after the transformation, but could attach and detach without any pain, which he found very convenient). His claws clumsily held the device, and with only a bit of difficulty he jabbed it into his other hand. KoKabuterimon was a bit shocked when it broke through his shell, even though he had expected it anyway. It just felt so unnatural for something so hard to suddenly break like wet paper.

"De-fusion initiated," the robotic voice stated. His body seemed to melt away; his claws broke apart, his muscles shrunk, his shell disappeared, and so on and so forth. The pain wasn't so bad, in the spirit's opinion. _::Maybe it's because I've died once before,::_ he recalled. _::I've felt worse than this.::_ Kenji, on the other hand, was trying very hard not to scream. _::He'll get used to it eventually.:: _Kenji's clothing, which had broken up into data during the transformation, reformed around him. KoKabuterimon was sure he'd appreciate it.

The transformation was over in a matter of seconds. By the time their attacks arrived, all they could find was two boys hiding behind a dumpster.

---

"Hey, kid! Where did that monster go?"

Kenji just stared, he was at a loss of words. _Who are these guys?_

The woman, his ex-attacker, sighed, removing her helmet. She had long brown hair, blue eyes. "Must have dropped him," she muttered to herself.

Another man in black body armor walked up to her, his helmet under his arm. He had an eyebrow ring. "Damn, we'll never catch up with that thing," he said, "Whatever it was. At least we got the bird."

"Yeah, MIZU is going to have a fit over that," the woman commented. She looked over at Kenji and Tori again. "Are you boys okay?" Kenji just nodded, as did his brother. It was sufficient enough. "If you want, we could give you a ride. After that incident, I wouldn't want a couple of children walking home alone."

"Uh, th-that's okay," Kenji said quickly, glancing over at Tori. _It's for the best._ "It's a short walk, we'll be fine."

"Well, you two head straight home, 'kay?" the man added with a grin. "Last I heard there were a few other attacks around Osaka, even more across Japan. Might even be some in other countries by now, it's spreading like an epidemic."

"Vince!" the woman scolded, "Cut that out, you don't want to scare them!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, m'am."

The duo left, and Kenji got back onto his feet. He let out the breath he had been holding. _For a minute there I thought they were going to kill me..._

_::Who are they?::_ KoKabuterimon asked. The teen spotted the ghostly figure beside him.

"Dunno," he said aloud, "I've never seen them before."

"K-ken?" _Ah, Tori!_ He looked at his brother, who just stared back at him. There was a silence between them for a while before Tori continued. "...Are you some kind of superhero now?"

There was another pause, and Kenji just burst into laughter. He didn't really know why, maybe he just needed to vent. All of his fear, excitement, confusion, all released in a round of laughter. It had been terrifying, but he made it.

He settled down, and replied simply with, "Hey, why not? Let's head home, Tori."


	4. The Legend of the Human World

**Chapter Three -- Chronicle of Knowledge  
**_**A Digital Ally and The Legend of the Human World!**_

It was dark, all he could see were the faint shadows lurking around him. He examined what he could of his surroundings--nothing to block his escape, just an endless expanse, but how could he be sure? _Surely they're prepared for that, they'd stop me if I tried to run. I'll just have to fight._

_...But no, they don't want me._ He realized this now, they only wanted _her_, his one true love. They had no right! And if they wanted her, that probably meant they wanted her boyfriend as well. Now it all made sense, this was just a mistake. _They want her and her boyfriend, they just made the mistake of thinking _we_ were together--as we should be, after all. It's an honest mistake._

They wanted to get in his way, to get between him and her, but he wouldn't let them. _I'll kill every last one of them, and then she'll finally realize how amazing I am and we would be together at last. Yes, that's exactly what I'll do!_

The darkness closed in around him, but he was ready. Electricity crackled around him. _I'll show them my power! I'll do it just for you, my beloved!_

---

Will sighed, making his way up another flight of stairs. "Can't they just give me a break?" he muttered to himself. "I use the wrong honorific once, and I'm already the laughingstock of the whole school!" He had fallen into the habit of talking to himself ever since he came to Japan, but since he did so in English most people didn't really pay attention. As an exchange student in a foreign country, he had been having a bit of a rough time. Japanese wasn't his first language, after all.

He reached his floor of the apartment building and quickly found his room. "Bah, I'll get the hang of it sooner or later," he added optimistically, pausing to find his key and open the lock. With his other hand he adjusted his glasses, which always seemed crooked no matter how hard he tried to straighten them. The door swung open. "Maybe they'll forget about it by tomo..."

He froze, his bag slipping off his shoulder and landing on the floor beside him. Sitting on his windowsill was the biggest beetle he had ever seen. "What the hell?" he gasped. "What is _that_?!" It had a bright red shell with grey spikes all over it, and two sharp looking talons for arms. Two wavy orange antennae stuck out of its head.

The beetle, which had been staring out at the city, turned its head toward him. It stared at him with its huge green eyes. Will stared back. The beetle's eyes whirled and it tapped a talon on the glass gently.

Snapping himself back to his senses, Will took a cautious step toward the window. _It doesn't look too dangerous,_ he thought. _I mean, it's just a bug, right?... Well, a giant one..._ He chuckled nervously. "It didn't know Kyoto had giant beetles like this one..."

The beetle cocked its head slightly. "Kyoto?" it said. Will reeled back.

"It... _talks_?!" he exclaimed. "Okay, I'm insane, this just isn't possible." He was tempted to run back into the hall and wait for the thing to go away, but... _I'm probably not going to ever see something like this again. Maybe I should try and take a picture or something. Perhaps it's some undiscovered species?_

He took another step forward, the beetle just stared at him. He took a few more steps closer.

"H-hey!" it shouted, making Will flinch. "Could you let me in please? I... don't like heights." It looked over behind itself. His room was on the fifth floor, so Will could understand that it might be a bit frightening to be up there, but something still didn't make sense.

"Then why did you come up here?" he asked. After saying that, he noticed something else strange. "And why do you speak English? What are you?"

"English?" the insect buzzed curiously. Its antennae shivered, electricity jumping between the ends. It made the situation seem even more strange. _I'm talking to giant talking electric bug, I _must_ be insane._ "Uh, I don't know what you're talking about, but I really, _really_ don't like heights... C-can we talk after, please?"

Will hesitated, then sighed deeply. "...Alright, I'll let you in," he replied. "Just don't try anything, okay?" He walked over to the window, and after another hesitant pause he opened it. The beetle fell into the room and let out a cheerful hum.

"Ah, thank you! I'm so glad you came, I was afraid I'd be stuck out there all day!" it buzzed. "You said something about 'Kyoto,' is that what this place is called?"

"Well, yeah, but..." Will replied, staring at the creature. "What exactly are you?"

"Ack, where are my manners? I'm Tentomon." It bowed slightly.

"Uh, I'm William. William Martin."

"Oh, okay! Well, William Martin, I guess I owe you now!" Its eyes seemed to glow slightly. Did that mean he was happy or something?

"Yeah, well anyway," Will said, falling back into a chair, "Maybe you could explain a few things now. First of all, _what_ are you? You're obviously not human."

"Human?!" Tentomon cried, electricity jumping across his antennae again. "Are you saying that _you're_ human? A real human? No joke?!"

Will blinked. "Er, yeah, but--"

"No, that's stupid. Jeez, this stuff is weird and all, but I wasn't stuck out there for _that_ long! I mean really, a human?" The insect chuckled, as if Will being a human was some kind of joke. Will just stared. "Forget it, what were you saying?"

"Uh..." _What the hell am I supposed to say to that?_ He cleared his throat, trying not to seem awkward. "How did you get up on that ledge?"

The creature hummed thoughtfully. "Actually, I don't know, I must have damaged my memory. All I remember before then was walking in the woods."

"That's all? I wonder what's going on here..." He straightened his glasses again, glancing over at the window. "Where are you from?"

"Indra Server, I live on the outskirts of Kobag." Tentomon's eyes flashed. "Ah, did I somehow change servers? I heard that could damage your data, maybe that's what happened!"

"...What are you talking about?" _He's talking like some kind of computer._ Will stared at the insectoid creature, but it was definitely alive. _It can't be a robot, can it? That would explain a lot of things, but..._

"What, you didn't know server changes could do that?" Tentomon replied. "It's only a rumour, though. I guess only the Knights would know about that for sure, right?"

"Uh, no, I meant--"

"Anyway, what Server is this? I'm sure if I just report this I'll get sent back. My friends are probably worried about me!"

"Actually--"

"I hope Piyomon's worried." The creature sighed dreamily, "Ahhhh, Piyomon..."

"Hey, would you listen to me?!" He fixed his slanted glasses again, getting a little frustrated. "I don't know what your are or what you're talking about, but this isn't a 'server' or whatever." With a pause, he added, "And I'm human," unsure of what that even meant to the strange beetle in front of him. Tentomon stared blankly, electricity jumping across its antennae.

"...Uhhh?" it buzzed. "But... that's impossible. Really, it just doesn't work that way. I mean, there isn't _really_ a world outside the servers!" Tentomon laughed uneasily, tiny sparks showering from his antennae. "...So, uh, you're just kidding, right?" Will slowly shook his head. "...Ah." A few sparks bounced of the insectoid's head during the brief silence. It tapped a talon gently against its eye, creating a weird static-ripple effect across the surface.

"This is unreal," Tentomon hummed, "But if this isn't a server, then... how am I still functional?" After a pause, it--no, _he_ asked, "Well, what are humans made of?"

Will raised an eyebrow. "Well, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen," he replied, listing off a few of the substances he could remember. He shrugged lightly. "Lots of things."

"So, no data?" The insectoid's eyes flashed again, seeming curious now. "Wow, so the stories must be true! There _are_ non-digital lifeforms out there!" Will chuckled.

"Yeah, same here I guess. I didn't know anything like you existed," he replied. "But what _are_ you? I mean, I know your name is Tentomon, but there must be more creatures like yourself, right?"

The creature's eyes flashed again. "I'm a Digimon, of course!" he exclaimed. Will blinked.

"A...what?"

"Digimon," Tentomon repeated, carefully pronouncing each syllable, "Short for 'Digital Monster'. A Digimon is any digital life form capable of altering or rearranging its data to accommodate its environment."

"Oh, I see," Will replied, pushing up his glasses. "You must be some kind of highly advanced A.I... but you can't be man-made, can you? No, you're more complex than anything I've every heard of..." He trailed off, noticing he had said that out loud. _I should probably get rid of that habit._ "Uh, sorry."

"The stories I know about humans are limited," the Digimon said, ignoring William's train of thought. "I was always a little suspicious, though, they're all very far fetched. But then again, this doesn't feel the same as a server, and I was sure that non-digital life wasn't real, but here we are!" He buzzed cheerfully, creating a sound that reminded the teen of laughter. "Maybe they're not stories after all!"

Will glanced at his watch--he didn't have anything to do for a while.

"What kind of stories?"

---

"Nemesis Ivy!" cried the small green creature. Its leafy fingers shot forward, wrapping themselves around the waist of its target.

"_Is that all you've got?_" the boy, no older than fifteen, snickered, a venomous aura in his voice. He grinned, revealing a row of short fangs. "_I've seen tulips more threatening than you--Power Paw!_"

Golden flames came to life around him, swirling dangerously around his hands. With barely a flick he shredded the vines trapping him, causing his attacker to shriek in pain. Black ash broke off of the ends of the limbs, dispersing into faint digits before fading into oblivion.

"_I think this is over,_" he sighed, flipping back his long silver hair. The inhuman teen folded his arms and leapt into the air, his white-tipped fox tail trailing behind him. "_Diamond Storm!_" Suddenly, shards of crystal materialized in front of him, their shard edges pointing down at the plant. He let forth another grin and swung open his arms, and on cue the diamonds shot toward their target, ripping it apart. It didn't even have enough time to scream before it was destroyed, nothing left but a few strings of data. He extended an arm as the binary settled around it.

_::That was a good kill,::_ a female voice said, echoing gently in his mind.

"You're not half bad, you know," the boy replied, examining his arm as the data melted into it, passing through his bracer with ease. It stung slightly, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. "I think I'm going to like this power..."

_::Good, because I'm not leaving,::_ the girl grumbled. _::This isn't about whether or not you like it, I'm not giving you a damn choice here. Now that we've fused there's no turning back--::_

_Yeah, yeah, I hear you,_ he chuckled, allowing his voice to remain in his mind this time. _Anyway, we better get going. Sooner or later someone's going to show up, and I don't want to explain this to anyone._ The other voice sighed.

_::Agreed. Fusion and de-fusion work the same way, I think, so just do what you did before to change back.::_

_Thanks for the tip. Let's go, I'll "drive" this time._

He flexed his hand, examining his attire--a purple fingerless glove with a yin-yang symbol on it, covered by a metal blue guard that covered his forearm. Jagged blue armor covered his chest and shoulders, and every twitch of his ear reminded him that they were now long and pointed. The tail was another dead-giveaway--he wasn't human anymore. Well, not completely. He still had the overall appearance of a human, but from the strange markings covering his skin to his fox-like features he doubted he would be treated like anything less than a monster.

Still, he shrugged it off. What did it matter, anyway? Taking a step into the shadows, he disappeared into the night, leaving behind no trace of their fight but a few wrecked flowerbeds and some scorched earth.

---

The loud beeping of an alarm clock forced Will awake. He groaned, slamming his hand down on the snooze button. "Shut up, clock," he muttered before slipping back into a daze.

"Heeeey! Get up, Will! You've been sleeping for hours!"

He jumped awake, scrambling for his glasses. "Who the..." Suddenly, the previous day's events came rushing back to him. He sighed, falling back into his bed. "Oh, it's you, Tentomon. You scared me."

"Of course it's me!" the Digimon buzzed, antennae sparking. "I'm the only other one here!"

Will found his glasses on the bed stand and put them back on, scratching his head tiredly as he recalled the situation. "I guess you still haven't found your way home, then."

"Of course not, I doubt it'd be that easy," the insectoid replied. "I'm sure I'll figure it all out, though. It looks like I'm not the only one who showed up here."

"Well, that's good," Will said. He paused. "...Wait, _what_?! There are more Digimon around here?!" Tentomon nodded.

"I saw it on the TV. It doesn't look like the other humans are very pleased about it. Those Digimon weren't acting very nice, though."

The teen took a deep breath, rubbing his forehead. "And what does that mean, exactly? What were they doing?"

"Attacking the humans. It didn't look like many of them could fight back, either, but there were also some weird Digimon that were fighting the other ones. I couldn't name them, though some of them were familiar--"

"The hell is going on?!" William stood up, pacing in front of his bed. A friendly alien bug popping up in his apartment was one thing, but this sounded like an all-out war.

"I don't know, but I don't like this either," Tentomon hummed quietly, a few more sparks shooting off his head. "Without Devas to keep order, who knows what will happen? Not to mention, how is anyone going to get home? There might even be some humans in the Digital World for all we know."

"This is a disaster... I'm going to go check some news sites, maybe we'll find something."

"Oh, uh, about that," the insectoid Digimon muttered sheepishly. "You know that laptop that you showed me? I, uh, I kinda reprogrammed it..."

Will stopped and looked at Tentomon. "You did what?" He sighed, just resting his head against the door frame. "Great. Well, I hope it does something useful, then."

"Not yet, but I'm working on that," the Digimon continued. "You see, it's a lot like the technology we have in Indra Server, so I thought maybe if I made some changes I could create a link, but... well, it isn't picking anything up but static. I'd put it back the way it was but I don't know how, sorry."

"Don't worry, it was old anyway," the human said, giving the creature a forgiving smile. _I really did like that laptop, though. Gahh, all my files!_

"Well, I'll make it up to you someday, I promise!" the bug buzzed. "You're already helping me enough, anyway. I hate leaving unpaid debts. So you just wait, I'll make it up to you big time!"

"Okay, enough," Will chuckled, amused by Tentomon's sudden enthusiasm. "You don't owe me anything, so don't worry about it. I don't mind helping."

"Ohhhh, you're too nice, Will, too nice!"

Now wide-awake, the teen slipped on his blue jacket and checked his watch. It was Saturday, so he wouldn't have to worry about school. "I'm going to head down to a cyber cafe, so you just stay here, okay? I don't know how people would react if they found you wandering the streets or something like that, so just wait here until I get back. Got that?"

"Yep, I got it! Don't worry, I'll stay right here!"

"Good, I'll be back in a couple hours. Help yourself to to anything in the fridge if you want."

"Okie-dokie! See you later Will!"

He smiled, then slipped on his shoes and stepped out the door, locking it behind him. "Tentomon better not run off anyway," he mused. "I don't think the neighbours would appreciate finding a huge bug thing in the building." With a quiet chuckle, he headed down the first flight of stairs and off to the nearest cyber cafe.

---

In the beginning, the Digital World was a paradise. There was no hatred, violence, or deceit, and all lived in harmony with one another. Ruled by the gods, Digimon lived without any fear or sadness.

Then, seven mysterious beings appeared in the Digital World. They carved the world to their desires and corrupted it, filling it with despair and placing it in the clutches of their dark master. The world became twisted and vile, friends turning against each other and chaos erupting across the lands. The great evil and its servants fed on the pain and suffering they had caused and grew ever stronger, and soon nothing could stand up to their might.

But just when all hope had been lost, the humans appeared from a distant realm. They held a strange power, one that allowed them to resist the influence of the demons. They breathed hope back into the world, and with their power the Digimon grew stronger and rebelled against their false king. The evil was overcome, and the humans slipped back into their realm, never to be heard of again. The demons were sealed in the core of the Digital World, to suffer the rest of their days in pure pain just as they had inflicted on so many others.

A droplet of the humans' power was left behind, and from it was born Culumon, the prince of light who shined as a beacon of hope to the world. From his presence the Primary Oak sprouted and grew, creating the Calu Server from its great roots and branches of rebirth. Its immense power brought the lost ones from the dead and refilled the Digital World with life.

However, the demons left their mark. The damage had been done, and the paradise lost forever. The gods faded away, using their dying breaths to create the Twelve Devas to protect the world in their stead. The chaos had been weakened, but not eliminated, for despite their best efforts it would flicker forward for a moment, bringing destruction in its wake before dancing off again into the shadows; a terrible monster that fed on hatred and woe, but it was now a burden the world would have to bear.

The gateway between the humans' world and the Digital World was shut, and a guardian placed before the gate to keep out intruders. Great rivers and oceans formed between the two dimensions to separate them forever, and the worlds were isolated, never to touch again.


	5. Friend or Foe

Greetings, dear readers! Yes, I have finally finished a new chapter XD Two, actually. Let's just say I finally got past that stupid Writer's Block long enough to get some damn work done.

And I have reviews now, yay .D.

**GLee14:** Why, thank you :D

**Wogan May:** I thoroughly read over all three of your reviews, and I'm very fortunate to have such an attentive reader Really, a good critic is hard to find. I know that this fic is probably wrought with typos, which I should probably start checking for :x I only have WordPad on my computer, so it doesn't check for me as I go and I get lazy. It's a bad habit, I know DX Didn't notice that detail about Vyse's glasses, thanks for pointing it out. I'll be sure to put that in when I finish going over the chapter :D

Actually, I guess I was kinda getting bored with chapter two around that point DX It's definitely not my favorite, anyway. I really do need to go over it some time. I tried out "Digi-Fission" a little, but it doesn't fit quite right to me. I'll keep toying with the idea, though. "De-Fusion" is kind of a lame excuse for a word XD

The legend at the end of chapter three is the version of the story that Tentomon told. Originally, I put it in that little slot between Will talking with Tento and then waking up the next morning, but it felt kind of awkward so I put mystery character who may or may not appear in the next chapter's introduction in its place as a transition and added the legend to the end. It's also supposed to add a little more detail to the legend so that the reader can gradually gain better insight into the actual story. There will likely be at least a few more of these touching on different pieces of the legend in later chapters of Will's arc, so hopefully future ones will fit in a little better. Sorry if it confused you or whatnot :x I'm already in the process of editing the chapter in question, though, and have kept in mind you suggestions. Thanks again:D

(Whew, that was long :O)

**Kouji:** wry helo thar .D. Thanks for reading my fic after I threate--uh, I mean, _chatted_ with you :)

Reviews aside, as you have probably noticed the chapters have been divided into Chronicles now. Basically, a Chronicle is just an arc of the story. So if something awesome happens in, say, the Courage Chronicle and you want to find out what happens next, but the next chapter is part of, say, the Knowledge Chronicle, it won't spoil anything if you just skip ahead to the next chapter of your desired Chronicle. Just don't forget to read the ones you skip:O

And now without further delay, the next chapter!

* * *

**Chapter Four -- Chronicle of Courage**

_**A Friend or a Foe? The Knight of Justice, Kudamon!**_

The glowing figure paced impatiently, his body passing effortlessly through all obstacles. Even the students didn't notice him, only shuddering slightly whenever he stepped through them. Vyse, however, shuddered a little at every step he made. It was just so... unnatural.

_::Come on, this is stupid,::_ Strabimon groaned over the teacher, tapping a claw on his folded arm. _::We don't have time for this, we have to go _now

_Just be patient!_ the human hissed back over their mental link, slowly getting the hang of his new situation. _Just a few more minutes, you can wait._

_::But I must have felt that presence hours ago! It could be long gone by now!::_

Vyse rolled his eyes._ It's been five minutes, Strabimon,_ he replied,_ I counted._

The spirit was about to protest when the bell finally rang. Immediately Vyse found himself jerked upright and out the door, just barely grabbing his books in time before he was dragged off to their next location.

_So, Strabimon,_ the human said casually, _What's all this about a presence, anyway?_

_::I can feel it,::_ was the reply,_ ::Close, very close. The presence of another Digimon.::_

Vyse frowned. _Does this mean another fight?_

_::Maybe, maybe not, I can't be sure.::_ He could hear anxiousness in the spirit's voice. _::All I know is that it might have some answers for me...::_

The human let the conversation end there as his partner drifted off. The truth was, neither of them really knew what they were supposed to be doing--even Strabimon seemed uncertain about their goals. All they could do for now was grab every lead they could find and hope it brought them somewhere. _Vyse, what did you get yourself into?_ The human sighed.

_::Look--there it is!::_

The spirit's voice brought Vyse back to Earth. Startled, he scanned the area. They were... still at the school? _I don't see anything strange, Strabimon..._

_::But it's right there!::_ the Digimon insisted, _::There, on that girl's shoulder!::_

Vyse looked straight ahead. Yes, there were several girls, but none of them had any crazy-looking monsters hanging off them. _Are you sure?_ He paused, then added, _There aren't any Digimon that look like jewelry, right?_

_::What? No!::_ Strabimon growled, then took control of Vyse's body again. _::She's right over... here!::_

Stomping into the crowd, he grabbed the shoulder of a girl, spinning her around to face them. She had long black hair and green eyes, and wore the standard female school uniform--nothing out of the ordinary. the only thing she looked like was startled.

"Fuu, do you know this guy?" a nearby brunette asked, clearly annoyed by the sudden interruption. The girl shook her head, her eyes locked with Vyse's.

"No, I..."

"_Fuu, is it?_" Strabimon growled, "_You can just call be Strabi. Let's talk._" She winced.

"Strabi?" the brunette sneered, "What kind of name is that?"

"This isn't a good time..." Fuu replied, moving her gaze away from them.

"_Sorry, we're on a bit of a tight schedule. Talking. Now._"

"Come on Fuu, let's just ditch this--"

Suddenly, the air around Fuu changed, her posture more confident. Her voice seemed to change as well. "_Miyako, I will meet up with you some other time,_" she said, "_Me and 'Strabi' need to have a chat._"

"Fuu...?"

"_You want to talk? Fine, let's get this over with._"

The girl turned around and walked briskly down the hallway, leaving her friend, as well as Vyse and Strabimon, dumbfounded by her sudden change in attitude. Realizing they were supposed to follow, Vyse ran after her, matching her pace as he caught up.

_Can Digimon look just like humans?_ Vyse asked his partner.

_::Not really, but I don't think she's a Digimon,::_ Strabimon replied, his ghostly form appearing alongside the two humans. _::I think she's just like us...::_

_Wait a minute,_ Vyse said, slowly piecing the information together. _Are you saying that I'm not the only one being possessed here?_

_::Looks like it to me.::_ Strabimon mentally shrugged.

"_Alright,_" the girl said, reminding Vyse that they had been following her. They were outside now, in a fairly empty area. Fuu leaned against a big oak tree, arms folded. "_Strabimon, correct?_"

The spirit regained control. "_Yes, and who might you be?_" he answered. "_I know your partner's name is Fuu._"

"_I am... Kudamon, of Pajra Server,_" she replied. "_My human host is Hogosha Fukachi. Yourself?_"

"_Uh, Strabimon of Kumbra Server?_" the spirit said sheepishly. "_My partner is Vyse._"

"_How very nice. Well, now that that's out of the way, I'm going to politely ask you to go away and never bother us again._"

Strabimon blinked. "_...What?_"

"_If I am engaged in battle, you will not interfere. You will not bother me while on duty--which is all the time, so don't bother saying hello if you see us again. If I, on the other hand, ever come across you, I will be far to busy to greet you anyway, so if you are in battle, I will certainly not interrupt. We will both stay out of each other's ways--agreed?_"

"_Er, well, I was thinking--_"

"_Excellent. Well, it was nice meeting you, Strabimon. I will be on my way now._"

"_H-hey, wait a minute!_"

The girl paused, a false look of surprise on her face. "_Is there something wrong with our arrangements?_"

"_Um, well..._" Strabimon fiddled with his hands nervously. "_I mean, wouldn't things go by faster if we, you know... worked together?_"

She contemplated the idea for a moment, then shook her head. "_No, I'd rather work alone. If the job is too hard for you, I could take care of everything myself, if you'd like._"

"_What?! No, I--_"

"_You'll only get in my way, Strabimon,_" she hissed icily. "_This is your last warning. Interfere, and you _die" The wolf spirit shrunk back. "_Understand? Good. Now, if we're done here..._"

Strabimon just watched, humiliated, as Kudamon walked off, not even glancing back once. Vyse slipped back into control, his partner appearing beside him. _That went... well?_ he offered.

_::...Hardly.::_ The spirit sighed, slouching. _::What's her problem, anyway?::_

_Don't ask me. Fuu seemed kind of nice, but Kudamon... not so much._ Strabimon nodded in agreement.

_::"You'd only get in the way"--bah, what does she know?!::_ he scoffed. _::We'll show her! Right, Vyse?!::_

_Uh, Right!_

---

"So, things are finally going into motion." The spikey haired boy smiled, leaning against a hot-pink dresser. Outside the small dressing room, raving fans cheered for their idol. She, however, wasn't in any rush today, and took her time brushing her hair to perfection.

"Yeah. I mean, I've never seen crowds this big before!" She giggled excitedly, clasping her hands together.

The boy sighed. "No, that's not what I meant," he grumbled. "Shut up about your music for once. We have a job to do, you know."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, control the masses, transport subjects to the Digital World, junk like that."

"You need to take this job more seriously, Kasumi."

She pretended to ignore his suggestion, clumping her hair into two neat buns. The boy watched, then slipped down his green-lensed goggles and stared into the empty space behind her. Green lights formed a figure for his eyes.

"Aren't you going to help me out here?" he said to the ghost. It paused, glancing his way.

"_She's getting the job done either way,_" Kasumi said, her voice tinted with an unseen aura. "_The more people that love us, the more we can get done. Why don't you worry about your own work, Levi._" She paused, examining herself closely. The ghost leaned over Kasumi's shoulder. "_You should be getting back to Osaka now._"

"Yeah, probably."

"_The master will be far from pleased if you keep screwing around like this. What kind of spy are you?_"

"A damn good one," Levi scoffed, "Not that you would know."

"_Then prove it._"

"Tch. Whatever."

He pulled a black device from his belt, pointing it at the wall like one would a magic wand. A swirling black hole formed.

"Hey Levi, wait a second--"

Kasumi was beside him before the boy had a chance to react. She planted a kiss on his cheek, leaving a faint print of pink lip gloss.

"For good luck, right?" she said cheerily with a wink. Levi shrugged and rubbed it off with the sleeve of his jacket.

"Next time, put the gloss on _after_ you decide to sneak up on me," he replied with his charismatic grin. Levi waved, then slipped into the dimensional hole.

---

Vyse raced through the city streets, holding his D-Soul out like a compass. A red arrow swung around the tiny screen, proving that it actually was, in fact, a compass. The only difference was that this compass didn't point north--it pointed to Digimon.

_I'm glad you figured out how to get this thing to work,_ Vyse thought-spoke, pausing to let the arrow settle again.

_::Yeah, this thing has all kinda of useful functions,::_ Strabimon replied. The spirit's form jogged beside him, having little difficulty keeping up with the human. _::Fusion, a compass, Digimon scanner...::_

_Damn, does it have a can-opener, too?_

_::What?:: _The joke flew right over Strabimon's head. Vyse sighed and shook his head.

_Never mind. Hey, I think it stopped._

The arrow pointed into a empty tunnel, but an orange glow seemed to emanate deep inside. Vyse was thankful for his target's choice of time and place. It was the dead of night, and due to the recent attacks everyone was inside anyway. Not to mention the tunnel was abandoned, if the steel bars had anything to do about it. Still, a Digimon's presence was made even more obvious by its way of entry--a huge hole had been melted through the steel, still glowing bright yellow. Vyse cautiously pushed what remained of the gate open. The arrow on the digivice's screen flashed with urgency.

"Well, this is it, I guess,"the human muttered. He held up the alien object, took a deep breath, then pushed in the designated transformation button. The screen lit up.

"Fusion sequence initiated," the mechanical voice chimed. _Here we go..._ He was blinded by light.

The second time over, the transformation wasn't nearly as bad. Somehow, Vyse's body had already started to adjust to the wild physical changes, and the pain felt much more tolerable. The claws came first, like before, tearing through his fingertips which seemed to just melt away. His toes cracked and burned, forming three large clawed toes, and tight bandages wound themselves around his feet. His ears extended; fine hair sprouted all over his body, black with silver markings on his face and ear tips he now knew. His scarf and various belts attached themselves last, tightened firmly but to uncomfortably. The burning sensation, which had started at the beginning of the transformation, dulled more quickly than before, and the light faded. He felt his feet touch the pavement again, realizing now he had been suspended in mid-air the whole time. The scenery settled back around him, his sight sharper now despite the darkness. He could still see the glowing figure in the tunnel.

_::After you,::_ Strabimon offered. Vyse nodded, then stepped inside.

There was a scream near the end of the tunnel, and a bright flash hit the hybrid. His ears perked up. Shouts from up ahead. He saw faint sparks caused by metal clashing with metal. Strabimon nodded silently in agreement, and they raced ahead.

"_Whirlwind Bullet!_" a voice shouted; female, familiar... Strabimon quickly recalled the name.

"_Kudamon!_" he shouted back. The voice's owner paused, just in time for their shared target to slam its brass base against her chest, knocking her into a wall. It looked like a candlestick, with a little face on both the wax and the flame. The twin faces sneered at him.

Kudamon growled and recovered, a giant golden bullet in her right hand."_Whirlwind Bullet!_" she cried again. She hurled her projectile and a gust of wind helped it forward, dealing payback to the candlestick monster.

_::Candlemon,::_ Strabimon explained to his partner, _::Rookie level, attribute is data. Don't worry, this'll be easy.::_ Vyse could tell the spirit was trying to reassure him, but none of his terms made any sense to the human. His stomach was in a knot.

_This'll still take some getting used to._

_::Just leave it to me.::_

"_Light Claw!_" Strabimon's claws glowed with white energy, and he swiped at the flame Digimon. It pulled back and the attack missed. Kudamon growled at them. He looked at her and her skin was pale blue with odd purple markings down her legs. Brown-tipped fox ears replaced her human ones, and she wore a silver choker. Her now amber eyes glared at his.

"_Out of my way!_" she hissed, shoving the other hybrid back. Vyse yelped, barely managing to keep his balance. "_Holy Shot!_" Her purple markings turned a shining gold, then a ball of energy slammed into the Candlemon. It screamed.

"Hey--We got here first!" Vyse hissed back.

"I_ was here first! You were all the way over there when I started fighting!_"

"We were tracking this Digimon for almost an hour--"

"_But I arrived first, so it doesn't matter--_"

"Why won't you just let us--"

"Flame Bomber!" The Candlemon shot a small fireball between the arguing hybrids, making them both jump back. More fireballs followed, and soon they were surrounded by flames. Vyse coughed, trying not to inhale the thick smoke.

"_Extreme Light Shock!_" Kudamon cried. Her body glowed again, followed by a shock wave of light and energy that forced Vyse and Strabimon back. The flames were blown out, leaving nothing but scorched rocks and a few wisps of smoke. Candlemon was already heading further down the tunnel. "_Damnit, its getting away--!_"

"Maybe if you let us help--"

"_Shut up, I work alone!_" Strabimon scowled.

"_You can't save the Digital World by yourself!_" the wolf Digimon spat, "_And whether you like it or not, we're in this together, so suck it up and let me help you!_"

Kudamon scowled back. "_Just don't get in the way!_" She bolted down the tunnel, and Strabimon followed.

Fortunately, the tunnel was blocked off for a reason. Due to the recent attacks, the roof had caved in halfway through. Candlemon was trapped. The two hybrids moved in to finish it off, but suddenly they were stopped by a bright flash. Vyse raised a hand to block out the light. Kudamon yelped in surprise. When the light faded, Candlemon was gone, but a new foe stood in its place. It was humanoid, about six feet tall, and covered completely in red flames. Its eyes were solid blue and its mouth was stitched shut with thread. The creature roared, clenching its burning fists.

"_It digivolved--damn!_" Kudamon cried.

"_Meramon, Champion level!_" Strabimon added. He grinned, glancing at the blue-skinned girl beside him. "_You still think you can handle this alone?_" She gritted her teeth.

"_Just--don't get in my way, okay?!_"

The creature, remembering the presence of enemies, let out another cry. "Roaring Flame!" Fire swirled around its hand, then a blast of orange fire jumped off, homing in on the frustrated Kudamon. Acting quickly, she fired her bullet at the oncoming attack, the burst of air weakening the flames, but not stopped them. She was knocked back, sliding down to her knees as she winced from her burns.

"_Light Kick!_" Strabimon moved back into offense. Energy building in his leg, he slammed a hard foot into the flaming man's torso, making it grunt and take two steps back. The fire scorched the hybrid, but not by much. Another blaze of fire was unleashed on Vyse this time, but he had no special abilities with which to weaken the attack, he was thrown to the ground, rolling onto his stomach a few feet away from Kudamon, who had now returned to her feet.

"_Whirlwind Bullet!_" Another solo attack. The gold weapon barely scratched the Champion level and Kudamon was met with another fireball, which she managed to avoid this time. She scowled, frustrated. "_Why won't you die?!_"

"_Kudamon, this isn't working,_" Strabimon shouted, getting back up again. "_We have to work together!_"

"_I don't need your--_" She stopped herself this time. Meramon prepared another attack. "_Well, hurry then!_"

"Fireball!" Another blast of flames. Clenching her fists in defeat, Kudamon's markings turned gold. Strabimon crossed his arms and his claws glowed white.

"_Now--Light Cross!_"

"_Holy Shot!_"

The three attacks met half-way and exploded with light and fire. The two hybrids managed to hold their ground, but Meramon didn't fare as well. It let out a roar and its data frame shattered, leaving behind the much weaker Candlemon. It squealed, then disintegrated. Strings of raw data coiled around the two remaining fighters.

Strabimon grinned. "_See? We get so much more done when we work together._"

"_Hmph._" Kudamon scowled, taking out her D-Soul--unlike Vyse's, it was large and flat with a silver-and-purple colour scheme. She pressed her hand on the screen, and the familiar computer-voice stated she was de-fusing. She was surrounded by light, then Fukachi's normal human self appeared. "_It doesn't matter. I appreciate your help, Strabimon, but I assure you it will be unneeded in the future. I told you, I work _alone"

"_What about Fuu?_"

Kudamon scoffed. "_Human dirt hardly counts as help,_" she replied. Vyse fumed.

"Hey--!"

"_Farewell, then._"

Vyse growled, but Kudamon was already heading back out. He clenched his fist--careful of his claws--and just watched her go. _Jeez, what a bitch._

_::Not much appreciation for her partner, I see.::_

Vyse waited until he was sure she was gone before he left, de-fusing still inside the tunnel. He slipped his glasses on and found that his sight was fine without them, even in his normal state. He stuffed them back in his pocket.

_I guess we won't be working with her, then..._

_::Maybe. It might take some work, but I'm sure we'll work things out. With time.::_ Vyse sighed.

_And we still don't know anything about the source of the gates._

_::Don't worry, we'll figure it out sooner or later.::_

Digivice in hand, the human headed back home, trying to keep his worries on the reaction of his parents when they found out he was "playing in the woods" at one AM.


	6. The Mysterious Katsuo

Woah, I just noticed. A few days ago was the official one-year mark of me writing this :O Jeez, it's almost embarassing that I only have five chapters done in twelve months DX

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Chapter Five -- Chronicle of Knowledge  
_The Mysterious Katsuo! DarkRenamon, the Reaper of Twilight!_

_...There's been this weird light outside my window for awhile now. It's really starting to freak me out D: I think I'll go see what it is. Later!_

_-Katsuo_

William read over the post a few more times. Most of it wasn't anything special, but those last few lines seemed... suspicious. Especially because of the keyword he used to find the blog.

"Digimon". The search turned up only a few results, all of which were blog posts by this Katsuo guy.

Definitely suspicious.

Will glanced cautiously over his shoulder. He was only being paranoid, though, everyone else at the internet cafe was busy with their own work. Still, he had become increasingly worried about the safety of his "guest". An earlier search provided information on the recent attacks. So far, the death toll was low, but there were a few people who were supposedly killed by Digimon. Little information was released, just what others could put together and get online so far. It was still all rumors, but nothing too unbelievable._ Well, aside from giant otherworldly monsters,_ he mused,_ but I think it's safe to say that those are real._

He moved onto the next entry, just a few days after the previous one.

_March 20th, 2003_

_Lee, Kotone, and Jamie! I added you to my friends list, so you better add me, too :D Things are going pretty good over here, mom was really worried, though. I'm just glad we weren't gone for months, I guess time works differently there. Still, she was pretty upset about me just disappearing for three whole days ; I'm sure she'll get over it, I told her I was at a friends place and lost the note. Hopefully I can get Yoshi to pretend I was there the whole time, we might be able to make this work :D_

_I'm really surprised we live in the same area, Kotone! It was so weird bumping into you like that. You should come over some time ;)_

_We have to get all the others to make blogs, too. Then we can all be on each other's friendslists :D Well, later!!_

_-Katsuo_

"Interesting..." Will muttered, tapping his finger on the desk. He skimmed over the next few posts--most of it wasn't important, but Katsuo's entries were riddled with hints about him knowing something the reader didn't. He pressed on, until he reached the last entry. It was put up just yesterday, to Will's surprise.

_April 12th, 2007_

_I've emptied my friendslist and I'm deleting all my entries tomorrow. I know this is kind of sudden, but I promise I'll keep in touch. Kotone, don't come to my apartment, find somewhere safe and hide there. DON'T LOOK FOR ME!_

_-Katsuo_

However, it didn't look like Katsuo ever got around to deleting his blog. Will bit his lip. _Did something happen to him?_ Obviously, something had happened, and it was serious enough that he had to go into hiding. Plus, the entry was posted right after the Digimon started appearing. _Maybe he was attacked?_

He put a little more work into his search as the blog entries printed off. His full name was Yoshiro Katsuo, and he lived in... Kyoto? _He lives here?_ This was certainly a surprise, maybe he could meet Katsuo himself and see if he could be of any help, or at least he could find out just what happened and why he was hiding. He scribbled the name down on a scrap of paper, then searched an online phone book. There where only two Yoshiro Katsuo's in town, so he wouldn't have to look too long. The faster he found him, the better. He scribbled the two addresses down as well.

There wasn't anything left to find on Katsuo's blog, so Will brought his attention to more recent news--or more specifically, the Digimon attacks. He examined a few of the clearer photos, then printed them off as well. Maybe Tentomon could identify them for him. He shuddered at one particular shot of a large red creature that resembled a tyrannosaurus, just about to lunge at whoever was unfortunate enough to take the picture. The creature's gaping mouth was full of sharp teeth, and he swore he could see sparks shooting up from its throat.

He shook his head, closing off the windows as the system readied itself for its next patron. Grabbing his bundle of papers from the printer, William headed for his first Yoshiro Katsuo.

---

"Danny, why can't you take care of this one yourself?" Kasumi pouted, adjusting one of her perfect buns. In one hand she held a green and black cell phone, pressed up against her ear to listen to whoever was on the other line. A voice crackled through, and she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I know you're busy. Honestly, you and your experiments! The master's going to be pissed if he finds out you've been neglecting your duties! ...Hey, keep my career out of this! I'm allowed to have a little fun, too, aren't I?" She listened to the reply, then sighed. "Alright, I get it. Fine, but just this once, okay? I'll send something over to take care of this Katsuo guy. Are you happy? ...Your welcome, Danny, how thoughtful of you to--" Her sentence was cut off when the line went dead, making the teen growl angrily.

"Yeah, well bye, you jerk!" she hissed at the phone, snapping it shut. "This is the last time I'll ever do you a favor!"

She fiddled with her bun a little more, then turned away from her mirror. Pointing her cell phone at the wall, a small glowing hole began to form. Four glowing red eyes appeared in the darkness.

"Devidramon!" the idol commanded, "I have a mission for you..."

---

When Will arrived at the apartment building, he already had a bad feeling about this whole plan of his. But it was too late to give up now, so he would just have to keep going. _Well, here goes nothing..._ He walked casually into the building and headed for the elevator, punching in the number for the fifth floor. He was looking for room fifty nine. Nervously, he pushed his glasses up and tried to straighten them out, but one side was still tilted. He made a mental note to get that fixed someday.

The doors opened and he found himself in an empty hallway. It was fairly quiet, making it feel like his every movement was amplified. Will scanned the doors until he found the direction he was going in, then made his way toward room fifty nine. It wasn't hard to find, and the door was open just a crack. He could hear something inside. Cautiously, he peaked inside.

Blood was everywhere. He could hear the gnashing of teeth, chewing, something _definitely_ not human. There wasn't a body--not much left of it, anyway, just a few stripped limbs and scraps of tattered, bloodstained clothes. He could see a long, black tail, with three sharp claws protruding from the end, and the edge of a wing. The horrible stench assaulted him, but Will couldn't move.

It was there, right in front of him. This giant black demon.

It was _eating_ someone.

His brain was screaming at him to run, to get the hell away from that thing, but his legs refused to move an inch. It was only when the beast stopped and looked his way that Will finally bolted. The creature's eyes hung in his mind, blood-red and lusting for his death.

A crash sounded behind him, and he heard screams from the other rooms. Someone up ahead peaked out from their doorway only to jump back inside. And if the crashes from behind him were any sign, the creature was at his heels, but he didn't dare look back. He passed the elevator--too slow, he'd be dead before it got to him--and instead headed for the stairs. he bought himself a little time slipping into the thin doorway and down the stairwell, but moments later the beast came crashing through the door, slamming into the wall just as Will reached the next flight. It hissed, claws clicking against the floor. Will's heart pounded in his ears.

"Red Eyes!" the beast roared, and a blast of light exploded behind the human, sending him flying. He rolled down the stairs and landed on his back, his glasses sliding several feet away along with his bag. He groaned, squinting back as he scrambled to get up. A black shadow loomed at the top of the stairs. Something was glowing--another attack?!--but he tore away his eyes and rolled out of the way. Another explosion hit right where he had been lying seconds before, knocking him into another wall. Will gasped, trying to get himself up again, but the demon was already in his sight again. It was only a few feet away now. He shut his eyes tightly.

"_Power Paw!_"

There was another crash, only this time he heard a screech of pain. Opening his eyes again, a new figure stood between him and the strange creature. He could only manage a weak moan, looking up at who ho could only hope was his savior. Lacking his glasses, his vision was too blurry to see who it was, but the human-shaped blob was covered in blue and white, and had some kind of... tail? _Not much of a surprise at this point. Is it a Digimon?_

"Crimson Claw!" The demon lashed out at its new target, who easily jumped away from the attack. There was a sparkle of gold, and the creature screamed again. The good Digimon looked like it was covered in golden light as it let loose a series of kicks, knocking the demon back.

"_Take this--Diamond Storm!_" the blue figure shouted. There was another bright light, blue this time, and something shiny rained down on the demon. It hissed in pain, and began to dissolve. Will quickly searched the floor for his glasses, which were somehow still intact, and he slipped them back on just in time to see the beast's head disappear into tiny particles. Most of the particles disappeared into the air, but a few of them floated toward the blue figure, coiling around its outstretched arm.

It had long while hair with spikes near the top, and blue armor covering its entire body. A white-tipped tail swept the floor. Thick guards covered its arms, with some kind of purple symbol which reminded him of the yin-yang sign. He stared in awe. The figure paused, then apparently noticed him, because it turned toward him and smiled.

"Are you okay?" it said. It looked... well, human, and if it weren't for the tail he wouldn't have known any better. Its skin was slightly tanned, creating contrast with its stark white hair. Will fumbled for words.

"You... you're a..." he stuttered. The figure frowned and began to turn away. Finally, he managed to force out a single word, "Digimon!" The figure stopped.

"...How did you...?"

"Tentomon, h-he landed in my apartment," Will said, finally getting his senses back. "He told me about Digimon, so I did some research and I--"

"_Okay, you're coming with me._" The sudden voice change made Will jump. It sounded more feminine now, he noted. Before he could protest, the human was pulled to his feet, and a dark shadow began to form on the wall. Hastily, he snatched up his bag, making sure all the papers were together before the strange Digimon pulled him into the hole. It was pitch black, but somehow he could still see himself, as if he was the only thing illuminated in some infinite blackness. He pushed up his glasses and grasped his shoulder strap as if it were a lifeline.

Something invisible pushed him forward. "_Come on, let's go,_" the voice hissed. He let the invisible force lead him, not having much of a choice in the matter. He walked only for a few minutes before a bright light appeared, making him shield his eyes. On the other side, he could see a room. He stepped through, and the hole closed behind him. The Digimon stood in front of him, arms folded.

"So, just what _do_ you know?" it asked him, in another voice this time. Seconds later, the voice changed again to the feminine one. "_Perhaps you could tell us why there was Devidramon chasing you._"

"Devidramon? You mean..." His stomach rolled. He felt like he was going to lose his lunch. Will recalled the scene at Katsuo's apartment--the blood, the monster, and then when it chased him... His knees buckled and he fell backwards, conveniently landing in a chair. The Digimon looked down at him.

"...Why don't we start with something easier," it said. "Hi. I'm Zanshi."

"I'm... Will," he replied weakly.

"_And I'm DarkRenamon._"

Will looked up, hearing the second voice again. He scanned the room, but it was only the two of them.

"_Oh, sorry, I guess you must be confused,_" the voice said, which he could now tell was also coming from Zanshi, or DarkRenamon, or whoever this guy was. "_Me and Zanshi, ah, share a body, I guess you could say._"

"You share a body?" This was definitely new to the human.

"_It's a bit complicated, but... well, let us show you._"

Zanshi/DarkRenamon took out a palm-sized red and black device. After a bit of fiddling, it proudly announced in its mechanical voice, "De-fusion initiated." A bright flash erupted from the device, forcing Will to shield his eyes. After a few seconds, the light faded, and all that was left was a moderately normal looking teenager with short spiked white hair. He flashed a grin at Will.

"In short, I can turn into a Digimon and back whenever I want," Zanshi explained. "DarkRenamon just kind of appeared yesterday and saved my butt, so I'm paying her back by letting her defeat all the rogue Digimon that showed up here. Pretty cool, huh?"

"So you're really human?" Will said with awe. "Wow, that's really... interesting." Zanshi scoffed.

"'Interesting'? That's it? I'd expect a little better than 'interesting', if you ask me!" He feigned anger, making Will chuckle. _He seems like a nice enough guy._

"_Well, anyway..._" Zanshi--well, DarkRenamon, he guessed--clipped the device to his belt, taking a seat on a bed across from Will. He realized now that they must be in someone's room. How they got there, he didn't bother to ask. "_How much do you know about what's going on?_"

"Only what Tentomon could tell me, and what I find online," he said, pushing up his glasses. "I know the Digital World is in some kind of alternate dimension where everything is made of computer data, and that our world is only a myth there. I was also able to find these--" He found the printouts and handed them to DarkRenamon, who quickly scanned over them. "I think this Katsuo guy has been to the Digital World."

"_Katsuo, hm..._" The hybrid tapped her foot. "_And what were you doing at that apartment? I doubt you planned on running into Devidramon on purpose._"

"Ah, well..." He trailed off, staring at the floor. "It was... Katsuo's apartment."

"_Oh? So then that means--_"

"Katsuo's dead." He forced out the answer before DarkRenamon could finish her question. "I... saw it myself."

"_I'm sorry to hear that,_" she finished. It wasn't very sincere, as if she were numb to death or something. "_Well, what about this Kotone? She appears to live in this area as well. Maybe you could get some answers from her._"

"Kotone..." He thought about it for a moment. If Devidramon had been after Katsuo, no doubt Kotone was in danger, too. But how could he find her? "Any suggestions, aside from asking every Kotone in Kyoto?"

"_I'm afraid I have no ideas on that front._" Will sighed. "_Better start searching._"

"I better get back, I have to make sure Tentomon's okay..."

"Oh, here." Zanshi's voice came back, and he wrote something down on one of the printouts. "It's my phone number," he explained, "Call me if you ever need any help."

"Thanks, I'll give you mine." He mimicked the action on another paper scrap and gave it to Zanshi. _At least I have someone I can call for help now._ He smiled and took back his papers. "I'll find my way out."

"Yeah, I'd just warp you out of here, but I've already defused," Zanshi chuckled. "It's just at the end of the hallway, try not to bother anyone on your way out."

"Alright, goodbye, then." Will turned to leave, but stopped himself as he reached the door. "Uh, thanks for saving me back there, if it wasn't for you, I..."

"Don't mention it, just tell us everything you find, deal?" The hybrid grinned. Will pushed up his glasses and grinned back.

"Sure, I can do that."

"_Well, farewell._"

Will slipped through the hallway and out the front door as quietly as he could, making sure to note the street name and number as he left. Then, he began making his way back home.

---

"What?! You really fought an Adult Digimon?!" Tentomon gaped in his odd insectoid way, sparks showering from his antennae. "And a Virus-type, too! Are you sure you're okay?!"

"Just a little sore I guess, but I'm fine, really," Will insisted. He pulled out the papers from the internet cafe and showed them to Tentomon. "I think this Katsuo person knew something about Digimon, but... well..." He searched for a way to avoid explaining the whole situation all over again. "He's... not there anymore."

"Ah, I see," Tentomon said, only half paying attention. "These are pictures of Digimon! I can name a few of them, but it's these ones that confuse me." He separated two photos from the group--a blurry shot of a girl with pale blue skin in mid-air and something golden shooting away from her, and a distant picture he immediately identified as Zanshi and/or DarkRenamon.

"Hey, it's DarkRenamon," he said. "She was the one who stopped Devidramon."

"DarkRenamon?" the insectoid Digimon said, more electricity jumping over his head. "But... that doesn't look anything like a DarkRenamon..."

"Zanshi said he can turn into a Digimon with DarkRenamon's power. I guess that's why he--she--_they_ look different."

"Woooah, really?! That's so freaky! How does that even work?"

Will shrugged. "Beats me, but I owe them my life."

Tentomon's eyes glowed. "Maybe that's why I can't name these Digimon, they must be somehow fused with you humans! This one _does_ remind me a bit of Kudamon." He poked the other picture with a talon.

"The question is, who's side are they on?"

"We'll find that out eventually. Until then, we have to look for this friend of Katsuo's, right?"

"Yeah, any ideas?"

"Hmmm..." Tentomon buzzed. "Do you have e-mail or anything like that here?"

"Um, yes, actually," Will replied, a little surprised. Then again, wasn't Tentomon actually made of data?

"I could probably hack into it, if you can give me a link to the network. Maybe we can contact Katsuo's friend that way."

"You can do that? Really?"

Tentomon chuckled, shooting off a few more sparks. "Oh yeah, piece of cake! I looked at your 'internet' thing before I started reprogramming your laptop--which I am sorry about, really--and it's really quite primitive--no offense."

"None taken, I didn't make it."

"Well, just find me the address and I'll get what we need, okay?"

"We can use the blog, that should have Katsuo's e-mail..."

"Great! Let's get to work ASAP!"

"Uh, only one problem..." Will sighed, adjusting his glasses for the hundredth time. "No connection." He pointed at the laptop placed on the table, which was still filled the static. Tentomon chuckled nervously, tapping his talons together.

"Ehehehe, oh yeah..."

"And the only other way is to get to an internet cafe, but... I don't think they'd be too kind to Digimon."

The two paused, trying to think of a way around the problem. Aside from fending off mobs of panicking people, as well as H.U.N.T.E.R. and anyone else who might want to get their hands on some alien creatures, they didn't have many options.

"...Sorry."

"Yeah, Tentomon, I know."


End file.
